What Bloomed in the Heart of Winter
by starmini
Summary: A chance encounter with the Maiden of Spring sets off a chain of events that threaten the order of the seasons and the fate of the world. The Lord of Winter is willing to plunge the world into chaos for the sake of his desire. Yet, the Lord of Summer and the Maiden of Autumn will fight to stop him.
1. The Lord of Winter

" **The heart can get really cold if all you've known is winter." Benjamin Alire Sáenz**

The limbs of the trees were stripped of their leafy crowns. Their bare limbs bending under the weight of the snow they adorned themselves with. Large teeth of ice hung from the rooftops of the houses. Their snarls glittered as the first rays of sunlight grazed them at angles. Frost veined the windows and tiny puffs of smoke drifted out the chimney of every house, defying the chilly air that blew through the streets. The ground was already blanketed with a thick layer of snow by the time he arrived. Gray clouds huddled together over the sleeping town, heavy with the promise of more.

Unlike the town's people, who sought an escape from the cold under layers of warmth, he stood at the entrance of the town with his chest and arms exposed. Few clothes adorned his person, except for a pair of ragged black pants and a black tattered cape. They were merely decorations, for he never felt the cold. As he walked through the town, the snow below his bare feet was left undisturbed. He could feel them in their houses, the families asleep in their beds. Their warmth radiated through the walls and touched his fingertips. And they could feel him there as well. They wrapped their blankets tighter around their persons, held the warmth of their partner closer, and dared an inch nearer to the roaring fires. Though they knew he was there and it had been a year since his last appearance, no soul came out to greet him.

It was like this every year. The birds disserted the skies. The animals burrowed deep underground. The humans kept to their shelters. They had felt him coming long before he arrived and prepared for it. They would lock themselves away and curl up around their embers of warmth. Few dared to venture out into the frozen world he brought. Only one thing could be found in the depths of the snow and ice. Everything slept when the world turned white, for a season or for an eternity.

He exited the town and entered the silent forest that surrounded it, continuing his long trek across the land. The sun was now fully blocked by the grey clouds above, melding the bleak colors of the earth with the ones of the sky. He looked back at the town, barely visible between the clusters of trees. Every year he would begin his march at the same place. No matter how many times he visited the town, for him it never changed. Looking ahead, the same scene stretched on. He knew what to expect when he walked his season. There was no life to be held. Everything was always silent, always sleeping, and always white.

Soon the town was swallowed up by the white world he created, lost to him for another year to come. But there were more towns to pass through, more forests to walk, more things to bury under the snow and ice. He could feel them scurrying in the distance, gathering against the cold like pockets of heat in his frozen land. He sighed as he continued on. His breath sent a gust of chilly wind through the forest. The grey clouds sighed in response, releasing another layer of snow upon the world. The snow fell heavier and the wind picked up, but he walked on unaffected. The white snow, the glittering ice, the chilly wind, the frost, and the freeze, were all his to command. His season had come again and the world froze under his reign, for now the Lord of Winter walked the land.


	2. The Maiden of Spring

**"It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart."**  
 **― Rainer Maria Rilke**

She turned over on her side, snuggling closer to the black bear curled up beside her. Burying her face into the warm layers of its pelt, she relaxed as she tried to drift back to sleep. Underneath the ground, the world was warm, dark and filled with dreams. In her dreams, everything was bright and beautiful. They were filled with colors and sounds and scents that made her want to sleep forever. She would have done it too, except the black bear she was snuggling with wiggled out of her grasp, taking with it her warmth and comfort. Laughing, she crawled after the bear as it ran towards the surface.

It took her a moment before her eyes adjusted to the light of the world above. What she saw when they did made her believe her eyes were too accustomed to darkness and that she was still dreaming, for the world resembled the very make up of her dreams. The colors and sounds and scents she wanted to dream about forever were before her very eyes. The forest floor was carpeted with lush green grass that tickled her feet as she walked. Flowers of various blues, purples, whites, pinks, yellows bloomed every where she looked. Their scents filled the air with an intoxicating perfume. It smelled sweet and fragrant and alive. Melodious songs streamed through the air. Birds sang their secrets as they flitted through the leafy crowns of the trees. Their feather-tipped wings swooping their tiny bodies into the azure sky that peeked through the green canopy. Light from the sun filtered down onto the forest floor, creating pools of sunlight that the black bear she cuddled with bathed in.

Seeing her dreams come alive before her, filled her heart with an exuberance that made her shiver with an excitement she could no longer contain or control. Her hands combed through the soft grass as she rolled down the hills, laughing at the sensation. She spun around the large tree trunks, the rough bark feeling the same way it had done in her dreams. She sung her secrets along with the birds and leapt through the sun rays, splashing in the sunlight as it drenched her skin. When she came to a small river, she tossed aside the light frock she was wearing and bathed her body in its cool waters. Tiny fish swam against her naked body as she reached down and stroked their silvery scales.

A rush of wind swirled around her, teasing her into a game of chase. Grabbing her frock, she raced the wind through the forest bursting forth from the tree line. Humans were gathered ahead, their backs bent as their tools tilled the earth. She walked among them, watching as their hands dipped in and out of the earth. Upon closer inspection, she saw they were dropping seeds into the ground as they spoke to one another. A familiar feeling rose up from the tiny mounds of dirt as the humans tucked the seeds into the folds of the earth. She could feel it reaching out from the ground and kissing her toes. With her eyes closed in concentration, she realized what the feeling was. Hope.

The humans nestled their hopes around the seeds, creating beautiful dreams that flashed in her mind. Pumpkins, potatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelons, tomatoes, carrots, and countless other dreams throughout the land filled her vision. The images of their hopes moved her to tears. They welled up in her eyes and dripped down her face and soon the blue sky was mimicking her. The white fluffy clouds turned grey, welling up and releasing a gentle shower. The humans looked at each other bemused as they raced back to the shelter of their homes. She watched them go, smiling as she spread her arms wide and danced in the rain.

Her heart felt as wide as the sky as she danced and skipped and ran and leapt, expressing her emotions through motion. This beautiful world was like a miracle to her. Every year she woke up and found it even more breathtaking than before. The time had come for her season to begin and as the Maiden of Spring danced with the dreams of the earth, a smile blossomed on her lips that bloomed throughout the land.


	3. The Lord of Summer

**"Summertime is always the best of what might be." —Charles Bowden**

The stars were faded forms against the dulling void of night. Upon the horizon, a hazy white light scrubbed against the black, bruising the sky into shades of violet. A flash of bright pink followed it, blinking out the stars. An orb of yellow gold light, peeked over the water's edge as it slipped out of the ocean's embrace. Voluminous clouds that drifted lazily above were dyed by the shifting colors; their silver linings glimmered as they caught the light of the rising sun.

The small waves lapped against him as he stood knee deep in the cold waters of the ocean, staring at the dawn. He stretched out his arms, his hands positioned just above the horizon and waited. As he watched, the sun climbed higher and slowly into his capture. For a breath of a moment, the sun blazed in his grasp. All too soon, the moment was over and the sun continued on. He dropped his hands, smiling as he turned away and waded back to the shore. His figure became outlined by golden rays, as if the sun longed to capture him. But they were both boundless.

Racing away from the shoreline, he bounded up the sandy slopes until soft grass grazed his feet. Through long expanses of fields he ran, as the sun climbed higher into the sky. He leapt over the mirror-like waters of a large lake. His reflection submerged with the fat fish that swam the rocky depths. Dodging through trees on the other side, he raced the deer in the forest before he dashed through the tree line. A village soon came into view; the doors and shutters of the houses were flung open, inviting the sunlight in to brighten their homes and the cool breeze to drift through the portals. Children ran around the legs of their mothers, shouting and giggling as they played their games. He joined them, running up and down the streets with little dogs yapping at their heels, until their mothers called for them to help carry great feasts in their hands. He laughed along with the families as he followed them out of the village.

The sun was high in the sky now and its rays enveloped the land in its warmth. The men were in the fields, their heads bobbing through their crops. Leafy stalks of corn stretched on for what seemed like miles, round pumpkins were growing fat and orange, large green watermelons were popping from their vines, and strawberries blushed in rows. The men unbent their backs and set down their tools as they gathered to lunch on the picnic blankets filled with food their wives and children had brought for them. He watched them for a time, smiling and laughing as they drank lemon-sweetened water from jugs and passed parcels of food between them.

He left them there and raced towards the mountain that framed their valley. He climbed until he reached the snowy peak. The snow evaporated as his feet touched the white surface, leaving not a trace of the cold on the rocks. Standing on the highest point, he overlooked the land below, spinning on his heel to see every direction. The horizon went on and on everywhere he looked. The need to explore, to see every aspect of the land made his heart pound faster. The adventure called to him, beckoned to him like a siren's song. Pushing off from the peak, he leapt into the air before he plummeted towards the base of the mountain. In the same moment that his feet touched the ground, he was racing across the world again.

It was only when the night claimed the sky again that he stopped running. A crescent moon and her host of stars shone down as fireflies waltzed in the darkness between the moonbeams. He reached out, trapping one between his palms. The fluorescent creature flickered in his hands, its tiny legs tickling his skin before he released it. Stretching his arms above his head, the Lord of Summer fell back into a field of sunflowers, closing his eyes to dream of the grand adventures that awaited him in his season.


	4. The Maiden of Autumn

**"Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits."**

 **― Samuel Butler**

Her hand rested against the lone oak tree, rooted on top of a hill, overlooking the expanse of the valley below. Like the oak tree she stood under, the trees below had shed their summer greens and adorned themselves with vibrant reds, bright oranges, and golden yellows. She descended from the hill and entered the blazed colored forest. Her scarlet hair rippled around her as she commanded the chilled winds to blow through the trees. As she walked, the leaves fell around her, painting the forest floor.

The winds she brought caused the animals to stir. The woods were alive with activity; instinct telling the animals to search, gather, and prepare. Squirrels scurried around the tree trunks, collecting fallen nuts and acorns. The deer ripped blades of green grass, stuffing their mouths hungrily. Large black bears lumbered through the forest, swiping berries from the bushes or silver-scaled fish from the river into their large mouths. Flocks of birds sang their songs of farewell as they left their nests, promising to return.

Since first light, the men were in the fields swinging their sickles down, cutting through the silvery mist to gather the golden wheat they waded through. In a field over, men were rolling away giant pumpkins ripped from their vines; and in another, men were plucking carrots, potatoes, onions, and turnips from their beds of dirt. All across their long-tended fields, men were cutting and plucking and ripping and snapping the ripe fruits of their labors. The fattened cattle and pigs were struck down, their slabs of meat slowly smoked in dark huts. The women tended their gardens, gathering herbs and the last of summer's fruits, to dry and preserve in clear jars. The older boys chopped wood at the edge of the forest, their younger siblings racing the logs back, stacking them in tall pyramids against their houses. A crisp wind blew gently on their backs, causing a subtle urgency to appear in all their movements, as they continued their work.

Her grip tightened around the shaft of her scythe as she oversaw the reaping. She had sent the wind as a reminder to them that every minute was precious and should not be wasted. There was still much to be done in order to prepare. Her arrival meant the time of change was upon them.

As dusk approached, the men returned to the town where a great feast had been prepared. In the center of the town, long wooden tables were stacked high with food. Large turkeys were stuffed with roasted vegetables and potatoes; great pots of soap were ladled into deep bowls of bread; roasted stalks of corn were buttered and salted on large platters; three types of casseroles were laid out, as well as plates of roasted chestnuts, sausages, and stuffing. The town was vibrant with laughter and conversation as the town's people emptied their plates and filled their bellies.

When their buttons were bursting, the women came forth with dessert. She widened her eyes as she watched the procession of pies: apple, blueberry, pumpkin, sweat potato, pecan were laid across the tables. Thick slices were offered, which they all gobbled down. Swiping a slice from each, she sat among the humans, content. A flute began to play; and someone joined in with a fiddle. Soon the humans were dancing around the fires, smiling and laughing and singing their old songs. The harvest had been bountiful and they thanked the winds, the rain, and the sun.

She chewed slowly on the last piece of pie, as she watched the humans. She was always amazed how, despite knowing what was to come, they could still smile so happily. She sent another crisp wind around them, causing the humans to hug themselves tighter and run back to the warmth of their homes. The celebration had been well earned; yet, she couldn't have them partying all night.

The air was seasoned with spice and cinnamon; the smells of the feast still lingered as she stood in the streets alone. Looking across the land, she shook her head slightly. The fields were still full of crops that needed to be reaped. More wood was needed from the forest. The sheep needed to be sheered; their wool turned into blankets, and scarves, and mittens. The woodland animals had not finished their preparations either. Burrows need to be insulated, more provisions stored, coats needed to grow thicker.

Yes, it all had to end. There was still much to do and she knew what would happen if the humans and animals were not properly prepared. The bright days were over and the dark nights were coming. It was her truth. Her identity. She was the twilight; the last defense before the night. The Maiden of Autumn flicked her scarlet hair behind her and continued on. There would be no slackers in her season.


	5. Chapter 1

**"That is the true season of love, when we believe that we alone can love, that no one could ever have loved so before us, and that no one will love in the same way after us." –Johann Wolfang von Goethe**

For the past week, she watched as the door slowly materialized. Standing in front of it now, she could clearly make out every detail engraved in it. Carved figures made up the door frame; seeming so real, she thought they would leap away from the wood at her touch. Dolphins splashed through rolling waves; large shells lined the edges; seaweed strips tangled around silvery scaled fish swimming up the frame; tall mountains crowned the top, leading into clusters of leafy trees where fireflies danced. Watermelons, apples, and strawberries tumbled down the other side with warm colored flowers, their vines and their leaves tangled together; and large winged birds soared throughout. In the center of the door, a large sun beamed. No matter how many times she saw it, she discovered new details etched into the wood that made her even more curious about the world beyond the door.

Dawn was breaking on the horizon. The Maiden of Spring watched as the first rays of morning light brightened the world on the final day of her season. Though she was sad to leave the earth, her heart was overfilled with an indescribable joy. The final day of her season meant her departure, but it also meant his arrival.

Holding her breath, she watched as the center sun on the door start to glow. The glow brightened into a blinding white light, causing her to shield her eyes. As the light dimmed, she blinked away the spots in her eyes to bring back her sight. Where the door once was, a figure now stood. He was tall with an olive complexion; toned muscles peeked out from the openings of his black vest; and his hair was a shock of pink, the same color as the blush of dawn. His eyes were coal black, but burned with vivacity.

"Natsu," she whispered his name, feeling tears prick her eyes. The Lord of Summer smiled as he saw her, a warmth blossoming in her heart.

"Long time no see, Lucy." He opened his arms to her. She flung herself into his embrace; her tears flowing behind her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, burying his head in her hair. It had been one year since they had seen each other. One year of waiting patiently for this day, when the lines between their seasons were blurred, when spring and summer coexisted.

Natsu pulled Lucy away slightly, staring down into her large brown eyes. All the adventures of his season could not compare to exploring the depths of her eyes. He could get lost in them and be content with never seeing another sight again. They were so full of innocence and dreams, kindness and wonderment, reflecting the makeup of her very soul. She was beautiful on the inside and out, with fair skin, tumbling blonde hair that cascaded down her back, and full pink lips that resembled the bud of a rose. It was those lips he wanted, as he tilted her chin to meet his kiss. Her lips were soft as flower petals, and her hair felt like silk ribbons as he tangled his fingers in it. Kissing her felt like lying in a field of flowers at night while drowning in the sight of the stars. She was soft and fragile, but radiant and vibrant. The Lord of Summer sighed in his heart, in complete bliss as he held his love in his arms.

As her season came to an end, the Maiden of Spring's weariness grew. She could feel the pull of her realm, the call to return to the garden of her dreams and sleep once more. Yet, the moment Natsu held her, she was shocked with a bolt of energy. When he kissed her, she felt a fire roar in her heart, burning the weariness away. His kisses were like sunlight. Everywhere he touched, flared with heat, warming her all over. She moaned against his lips, as she pressed her body closer. After a year apart, she didn't want any distance between them. It was no longer spring, but it still wasn't summer. In the space between, they existed in a realm belonging to the two of them. Now, they were in a season of love.

Reluctantly, Lucy broke their kiss, stepping out of his embrace, but entwining her hand in his. She smiled as she led him throughout the world, showing him what she had dreamed about while waiting for this day. The flowers that blossomed in her season only came about because of the love she had for him. It was his face that filled her mind as she slept; his touches and kisses and words and smiles were the dreams she wrapped around herself in her slumber. It was because of him that she brought life back into the world; for the Maiden of Spring, he was her life.

They ate ripe berries from bushes, staining their fingers blue and black. They rolled down green carpeted hills; laughed as they raced the wind through the woods, and cuddled with the black bears lazing in the sun. In a meadow, she made flower crowns for him, as he slept on her lap. They sailed over the land on the backs of giant eagles, watching the scenery change below them while skimming their fingers through the clouds. He gifted her with a pearl he retrieved from a clam at the bottom of the ocean and walked the line between earth and sea. When the sun began to set, they watched it tuck itself beneath the waters of the ocean. They drifted on their backs in the dark waters of a mirror-like lake, as if they were drifting in a pool of stars. Finally, they wrapped themselves in each other's arms as their hearts whispered to each other.

"It's never enough," Natsu sighed as he pulled Lucy closer to him.

"One day a year for all eternity is more time than any human could ever hope for," she said, as she snuggled closer to him.

They had returned to the place where they first met. Where the door to the realm of spring had now appeared. Its frame was covered with flowers, ranging in color and size and shape. Small leaves were dotted throughout, as well as bunnies, small birds, chipmunks, and other tiny creatures scurrying about. A rain storm crowned the top of the frame, fat rain drops splashing down. In the center a seed beginning to sprout was carved, representing the heart of spring.

"But I still hope for so much more." Lucy said as she sat up, looking down at Natsu with a small smile. He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her hand captured his hand against her cheek, turning her head to plant a long kiss in his palm. As much as Natsu's presence could burn away her weariness, he could do nothing against it when it was time for spring to finally end. The night had long since expired, and The Maiden of Spring could not be on the earth when the first dawn of summer shone.

Centuries earlier, Natsu had tried to bring her into his season. Lucy had fought against the weariness and the call of her realm with all her might in hopes of seeing summer. As the dawn of summer shone, she was overcome with so much pain, her body crumpled to the ground. Natsu had to rush her to her door where she drifted into a dreamless sleep. Spring didn't come that year. Or the year after that. The world was ruled by winter for 10000 years, before she woke up again. Natsu had wept rivers once his door finally opened and he could see her. He never tried to show her summer again. Though they were immortal and could do so many extraordinary things, they were bound by the rules of time. They were caged in their seasons.

Natsu stood up, offering Lucy his hand. They walked to her door slowly. He wanted to spend more time with her, but he swore he would never cause her pain again. Though centuries had passed, the memory of her crying out still haunted him.

"Make sure you don't get carried away with the heat this year. The humans were saying how some of the crops were damaged and burned last year. I made sure the earth was watered thoroughly, but don't forget to give it a few showers. The humans worked hard tending to the land." Lucy reminded him as they stood in front of her door.

"Trust me," he assured her. "I won't forget. The Maiden of Autumn is a frightful character and she gave me a serious thrashing after she saw what happened. I won't be making that mistake twice." He grimaced remembering the pain she caused him and the terrifying look she gave him. Even though he knew he was immortal, he thought he was going to die after experiencing her wrath.

"The Maiden of Autumn. I like her already," she giggled. "But I wish I could meet her. I heard the humans saying her season is like a second spring." Lucy looked back at the earth, wondering what a second spring would look like. She wanted to experience the adventures of summer, the second spring of autumn, and then, the mystery of winter. She sighed as she turned back to Natsu. "How lucky the humans are. They get to walk through every season, experiencing so many things."

Natsu didn't say anything. He just kissed her, pulling Lucy closer to him. There were only a few more moments they had left to spend with each other. A few more moments and then another year of waiting, of longing for this day to arrive. Their season of love was coming to an end.

"You have to let me go," Lucy murmured against his lips. He didn't respond; he just deepened their kiss. Lucy drank in his warmth, memorizing the way he felt and how his lips tasted. These were the things that she replayed over and over again in her mind when she slept. Every shade and every form, Natsu was her only dream, forever.

With a sigh, Natsu pulled away from her. The way she looked at him made him want to kiss her more. He resisted the urge, because he knew he wouldn't want to stop. How many years had they shared this day? How many times had he kissed her? How many times did he look at her and feel like his heart fell in love with her all over again? How many times did he thank and curse time for giving them this one day?

"It's never enough," he said again. "All the time in the world and it still wouldn't be enough."

She grabbed his hand, placing another kiss in his palm. "Hold onto my heart. I'll come back for it soon."

"Like I would ever give this back," he smirked as he took her hand, placing a kiss on her palm. "Besides, you'll always have mine."

The door to her season shone as the seed sprout in the center bloomed into a bouquet of flowers and the door opened. The realm of spring lied beyond as she stepped into the entry, looking back one last time to squeeze every detail of Natsu into her mind.

"Sweet dreams, Lucy," Natsu whispered as he watched the bright light envelop her. The door closed around Lucy, shutting her off from the earth and from him. Her hand rested against the closed door, wanting it to open, allowing her to experience one more moment with him. Yet, no matter how much she willed it, the door would not open. Spring had ended.

The Maiden of Spring strolled through the labyrinth of gardens that made up the majority of her realm. Her weariness was about to overcome her, as she walked the twist and turns of the flower covered hedges that towered around her. In the heart of the labyrinth, four white bridges arched over an expanse of fresh water that circled an island. An enormous white rose bloomed alone in the middle of the island. Lucy climbed inside its soft petals, curling her body into a ball. The petals rose around her, shutting her in its fragrant darkness as she drifted off to sleep. In her dreams, her memories of Natsu replayed in her mind. The love she had for him, made the realm of spring shiver in delight as it planned how best to give her love form.


	6. Chapter 2

Helloooo! If you're following this story...THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! Sorry it took months for me to get another chapter out. I promise to do better. APYJCK is just more time consuming than I thought it would be. Anyway! I hope you enjoy the update. Please, let me know what you think in the reviews. I always love reading everyone's comments. I promise it won't take me another three months to get the next chapter out. Thanks for the support! Much love!

This chapter was beta read by: **Zaravarine** (AO3 username). Thank you for helping me!

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"To keep a warm heart in a cold world is the real victory." ― Marty Rubin

Gray's legs stretched across the naked branch, frost coating it where his body touched, as he leaned his back against the massive trunk of the tree he was sitting in. The hood of his tattered cloak covered his face as he stared intently at the world below. The humans were huddled in their houses, warming themselves against the chilled wind he sent to taunt them. The animals were tucked deeply into the folds of the earth, safely hidden in their burrows. The skies were bleak and not a bird could be found in the sky. Fresh fallen snow covered the land, blanketing the world in another layer of white. It was still silent. Still white. Still his.

But it wouldn't stay that way for long.

He could feel it. As he walked his season, coating everything in silence and ice, he had felt something thrum up from beneath the layers of snow. It started off as a single vibration—a sensation that barely grazed his soles. Yet, he knew what it meant. What is always meant. The first sign of the end. The final call of winter.

The first day he felt the pulse he had found it—instinct leading him to its location. A ghost of its true form, the translucent door that appeared in the middle of a snowy glade was the cause of the vibration Gray felt. The pulsing beneath his feet grew more frequent as the week progressed and the door became more visible. The great power that was strong enough to melt his realm of ice and snow and frost.

In the beginning—Gray remembered—he exhausted himself, season after season trying to prevent the door from ending his time on earth. He hated its arrival. He hated feeling his complete control of the land being snatched out of his hands. He reached down into the very pits of his power to unleash winters so brutal, he was certain nothing could break his cold layers. Yet, the door appeared and he felt his hold on the earth release. When he couldn't freeze the earth forever, he tried to destroy the door; but his powers could do nothing to damage it. All the layers of snow and ice he directed to it would simply melt away. Gray grew more furious after every failure, but he was no fool. The realization that the door was tied to the same origins of his own power ceased his futile attempts to destroy it; but it didn't stop his hatred of it nor his curiosity.

Whenever he felt the first vibration that marked its arrival, Gray would hunt down the location of the door. When he found it, he would watch as it grew more visible each day. Strange markings would appear on the light wood. Some resembled large, but odd shaped snowflakes. Others depicted creatures that weren't human, but smaller and hairier. At the top of the door, a mass of clouds clustered together, but instead of snow or ice or sleet, something else fell from the sky. Birds swooped around the other depictions, allowing him to recognize at least one of the carvings. He came across a flock that was struggling against his cold winds one winter. He watched as they dotted the sky and heard their call. Looking at the door, he saw that there were different sizes and shapes of birds filling the sky. However, what made him hunt down the door again and again was the amount of color it possessed. All he knew was white and shades of grey. On the door, a world full of color was depicted. There were too many things he didn't understand, but he knew, behind the door, there was a realm so unlike his own.

It wasn't until much later that he learned what those markings were after eavesdropping on the humans—something he never cared to do before. He became obsessed with learning more about the world that came after his own. The world that melted his ice and snow and made everything so colorful. The things he thought were weird shaped snowflakes were called flowers. The odd creatures were the true forms of the animals that slept deep within the earth. The clouds that he commanded to cover the world in snow and ice and sleet also showered the land in rain. All this strangeness resided in the time that came after him, in the realm known as Spring.

What made it so special? Why did the humans await it so eagerly? Why could it melt his snow? Sometimes it took a week and sometimes it took six, but these were a few of the questions Gray mulled over as he watched the door finish materializing. His own door would appear, not made of wood but out of thick ice. The door to the realm of Winter didn't have any carvings depicted onto it, only a single snowflake in the middle. What else did one need to know about Winter besides ice and snow? The pull to return to his own realm was strong and violent when Spring's door was finally fully visible. Gray wanted to see it. Even though he despised it, he wanted to see Spring for himself. But he never resisted the call of his own realm, stepping through his door before Spring's door ever opened. His hatred for Spring, outweighed his curiosity of it in the end.

That was, until one day the door to Spring never appeared. The Lord of Winter finally got his wish. The world was covered in layers of ice and snow that never melted. For 10,000 years the world was his and his alone. Yet, it didn't feel like a victory. Something felt off—wrong. What had happened to Spring? Why didn't the door appear? These were the questions that plagued him now. As centuries passed, and with no Spring in sight, Gray found himself waiting for the signal—the sign that Spring was coming. He didn't dread it anymore. He longed for it.

When he finally felt it, he raced to its destination. The vibration was weak, barely a fluttering pulse. When he stood before the door, he found out why. A vicious crack ran down the center of the door, slashing through the flowers, the animals—all the images that mesmerized him. And the once vivid colors that shone on the door were all gone. The door was bleak. The colors drained away. Spring was finally here, but it was broken.

There were no more blizzards, snowstorms, or ice barrages. He reined in his freezing winds and stopped feeding the teeth of ice that ensnared the world. He commanded the grey clouds to disperse and made sure not a single snowflake fell from the sky. On that day, Gray ended his harsh winter.

Gray spent his days in front of Spring's door, watching and waiting for the crack to heal and for the colors to return. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. The wood stitched itself back together and the bright colors returned. As he watched the slow progression, Gray spoke to the door. He didn't know why he did it; but he whispered to the carvings all the things he imagined Spring to be like. Years. Decades. Centuries. Time moved on and the door to Spring healed. The door to Winter reappeared, signaling that Winter had finally come to an end.

The call to return to the realm of Winter surged through his body. Yet, he couldn't leave. More like, he didn't want to leave. A myriad of time had passed, thawing out his hatred for the power that melted his cold world, leaving only his curiosity to remain. He willed himself to stay, to watch the opening of the door to that wondrous world. Hiding up in the trees, he held his breath as the door shone brightly—the colors beaming more brilliantly than he had ever seen them—and beheld the face of Spring.

The door disappeared and in its place, a girl stood. The thrumming that started with the arrival of her door turned into a roaring rhythm that wanted to burst from below the moment she stepped onto the land. From his spot up in the tree, he watched as the girl took a few timid steps, flowers springing from the ground where she stepped. Flowers! Real flowers, just like the ones on the door. They bloomed through the thin layer of snow that still patched the ground. She bent down, caressing the petals of the flowers at her feet with a slender finger.

A song erupted in the sky, and she shot her gaze skyward. Gray's own gaze followed, and beheld birds filling up the sky. They were singing, pouring into the air songs he never heard before. The girl began singing in that same melodious and mystical language, as the flocks of birds soared overhead. Her voice shattered the spell of silence and the land began to hum. She was off then, her steps no longer timid, but bounding as she raced across the land, singing all the while.

In response to her song, the world exploded around her. He could feel the once motionless animals begin to stir. Even the chilly wind he commanded seemed to shake out the ice running through it, and warmed to greet her. Gray had never witnessed such a thing in his entire existence. He didn't know the world could be so vibrant, so loud, so alive. He followed her in the shadows that day, watching as she transformed everything around her. The world was no longer just white or grey. It was no longer still. It was no longer silent. It was beautiful. And so was she.

Her presence shook the foundation of his world, changing it—changing him. She made him start to feel something. He was always dead inside—emotionless. Cold and silent like the world he created. Yet, something warm spread through him when he saw her. Something deep within him called out to her and beat to the same rhythm that thundered below their feet. She made him feel…alive.

After that day -for that one day they walked the earth together-he would always wait and watch for her arrival. Keeping to the shadows, he trailed her as she danced and sung on the final day of his cold world. But, he never spoke to her. Not once in the whole of his existence did Gray ever go up to her. Something felt dangerous. He feared what that encounter might do-might do to him. That thing beating in his chest at the sight of her, felt like it would leap out if he got too close. No, he kept his distance until he couldn't resist the call of his realm any longer. He would slip inside his realm, still unnoticed by the girl, and surround himself with the familiar sights of snow and ice. Only when she was out of sight would the beating thing in his chest cease its throbbing. It would go back to being the silent and cold thing that slumbered within him until the next time he saw her.

That's how it always was. Until one day, everything changed.

Sitting high up in the tree, Gray continued to wait and watch for Spring to arrive—for the silence of his world to shatter. Gray was particularly restless with curiosity. He felt the overwhelming desire to speak with the girl. He felt the need so deep within his bones that he was moving automatically. He dropped down from his perch, walking towards the door to Spring before he even realized he was moving.

The familiar bright light shone out of the door and the Maiden of Spring stepped from it. Before she spotted him, Gray commanded the snow to gather around him. In a blink of an eye, the snow whirled and encased him. If anyone looked in his direction, all they would see was a snowman.

 _What the hell am I thinking?_ Gray thought as he willed silence to envelop him.

Gray watched as the Maiden of Spring stretched her long limbs and yawned, always taking her first shaky steps away from where her door had been.

 _Why does she always look so sleepy when she first arrives?_ The girl scanned the glade she appeared in, rubbing her eyes and paused in his direction. The beating in his chest hammered loudly in his ears as she approached him. He tried to silence that too, but to no avail.

She stood directly in front of him, her large brown eyes peering into his own—but she didn't know it. He hoped she didn't notice him. He remained perfectly calm on the surface, but inside, a new kind of storm was raging. All the questions he formed in his head over the years of watching her were bubbling to get out. Gray watched as her face broke into a dazzling smile, and the thing pounding his chest leapt into his throat. Before he could stop himself, he spoke the one question that he had been dying to ask.

"What is your name?"

The girl took a step back, her eyes rounding in shock. "You can talk?" she gasped.

With a sigh, Gray commanded the snow to part from him. There was no turning back now. His curiosity had overwhelmed him. And that stupid thing inside of him, betrayed all his years of carefulness. But he wanted to know—he had to know. His curiosity outweighed the fear of the consequences now.

"You're Winter!" She exclaimed, her hands covering her mouth. Gray took a step back. _How does she know that?_ "I've been wanting to meet you for so long."

"Me? You have?" Gray was shocked. No one wanted Winter. He heard the humans mutter and curse him when he arrived. This was the first time anyone ever expressed a desire to see him.

"Yes!" She threw her hands out wide and spun in a circle, her blonde hair streaming around her. "I know Summer." A blush bloomed on her cheeks that puzzled Gray. "And he's met Autumn, but you've been a mystery. I wanted to tell you, the world you create is so beautiful."

"Beautiful?" He glanced at the world around them, at the thin layer of snow and ice still clinging to the land. _This was beautiful?_

"Everything sparkles and glistens. It's simply breathtaking." Bending down, her hand scooped up a handful of snow. She stared at it lovingly as it slipped through her fingers. "It's cold, but dazzling. I can only imagine what the land looks like at the height of your season."

"Would you like to see?" He asked, the words tumbling out of him before he could think them through.

"Show me," she said, her eyes glistening with excitement. She was serious; he noted. Without a second thought, he showed her the true form of his realm.

He commanded the grey clouds to knit together once more. Snow fell in giant heaps onto the land. For a moment, she stood in pure amazement, watching the snow fall from the skies. Holding her hands out, she caught snowflakes on her palms, but frowned as they melted on her skin. Gray held out his own palm, and the snowflakes dotted on his hand. He told her how no two snowflakes were the same. She stared at them like they were gems in his hands. She laughed then, dancing and spinning in the snowfall.

He created sculptures, showing off as he made towering figures out of snow. She clapped as figure after figure sprung up from the white world. Bending down, he watched as she scooped snow into her hands once more, forming a ball. In a moment, she sent it hurdling towards him. He blinked as the snowball hit his head, sliding down his face. The girl burst into fits of laughter that had her rolling in the snow. He laughed along side of her, before flopping down to the ground. Spreading out his arms and legs, he moved them up and down at his sides. Carefully, he stood and showed her the snow angel he made. For over an hour, the girl laughed as she made snow angel after snow angel.

Noticing her shivering figure, he took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. She tried to protest, but he insisted.

"I don't feel the cold." Understanding flickered in her eyes, and she wrapped the cloak tight around herself as she thanked him.

He took her to a lake, and placed his hand along the broken icy surface. A thick layer of ice spread out from his palm, coating the water. He made ice skates for her, and took her around the frozen water. Her eyes widened as they skated over the lake, spinning and twirling over the water.

Gray never knew the world he created could be like this-that it could be fun. As the day progressed, more and more and more, the feeling inside of his chest grew. He finally asked the questions he kept trapped inside of him. He wanted to know about Spring. He wanted to know more about her world. And she answered them. Hearing her talk of the world she lived in fascinated him. He wanted to hear more—to see it for himself. Yet, instinct warned him against crossing over seasons.

As they sat on a bench, staring at the white world around them. She had looked around at what he created and called it beautiful. Looking at her, he could see how her words could be true. If she was there, even this cold world could be beautiful. He held out his hand and waved over it, forming a flower made out of ice and handed it to her.

"I've heard the names of many flowers, but I still don't know the name of this one," he explained, looking away. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she twirled the ice made stem between her fingers.

"It's beautiful! It looks just like it," she breathed.

"I'm sure the real thing is better."

She hopped down from the bench, bending down to dig beneath the snow in order to reveal the earth below.

"Come here little dear." Placing her hand on the ground, she lifted it slowly. Sprouting from the ground, a long thorny stem appeared. The bud of a flower unfurled at the top, revealing bright red petals that broke up the white background.

She plucked the flower from the ground and handed it to him."Its name is Rose."

"Rose," he breathed as he held the flower in his hands. The bright red petals were soft to touch as he gently ran his finger over them. Frost began to coat the flower, ruining its beauty. He dropped it quickly, the flower splattering its petals over the snow.

"I'm sorry," he said looking down at the withering flower. "I-"

She picked the flower up, dusting off the snow and ice that clung to it. Beneath her touch, the rose sprung back to life. She ran her fingers over it and more roses bloomed between her hands—red, white, pink, yellow. Her hands twisted their stems together, removing the thorns. Weaving the different colored roses together, she made a crown—a crown of roses. She placed it on his head and smiled.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Tomorrow, I'll cover the land in flowers for you in gratitude for showing me so many magical things."

As she smiled at him, Gray felt the the thing inside of him burst. A warmth spread over him and the Lord of Winter—for the first time in his existence—felt warm. The pull to return to his realm was overwhelming at this point. They stood in front of his door as it beckoned to him. _It's not enough._ He thought as she spoke of all the things she would make bloom during her season.

"Your name," he interrupted. "You never told me your name."

"Oh!" The girl laughed. "My name is Lucy."

"Lucy." The warmth spreading inside of him flared as he tested her name on his tongue.

"And yours?" She asked, tilting her head.

"It's Gray."

"Gray." His name sounded like a song when she said it. "Thank you for my first Winter. I have something else to look forward to next year now."

The warmth was roaring inside of him. How could he do it? How could he wait another year to see her and only for one day? That's not what he wanted. He couldn't bare that torture. And this warmth that she inspired inside of him, the thing that roared in sight of her. It was a feeling he never wanted to let go of.

Gray removed the ice coated roses from his head, placing the crown on her's instead—the flowers blooming back to life. Already, the white world around them was melting. The ice dripped off the trees and tufts of grass sprouted everywhere. Winter was over. He had to return to his realm. But now that the Lord of Winter had beheld a glimpse of Spring, his curiosity transformed into a desire-a craving for more. One day with her and he realized he couldn't go back to how things were before. He never wanted this warmth inside of him to dull. He had grown tired of being cold.

"It's not enough." Gray whispered, before he took Lucy through his door and into his realm of Winter.


	7. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

Hello loves! Here's the next chapter of WBHW! I hope you all enjoy it. This world is a lot of fun to write and create. I really appreciate all the feedback you guys are giving me. It means a lot! Sorry for the delay in between chapters. It's the holiday season and other things are going on ...blah blah blah. Hopefully I can get one more chapter out to you guys this month. I'll try really hard! :D After all, this is a relatively short story compared to my other multi-chapter fic. Anyways, enough rambling. Enjoy! 3

This chapter was beta read by: **Zaravarine** (AO3 username). Thank you for helping me! I'm so glad you offered to help me with my stories. You're amazing. :D

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 **"My heart has been stolen too -but I've gone and got it back every single time."**  
 **-Salma Hayek**

It was time. From the beginning of his existence, Natsu had always known what this feeling meant. The Lord of Summer stood in front of his door, placing his hand on the smooth wood and waited. It pulsated with a warmth that grew beneath his touch. He pushed on the door slightly, waiting for the moment when it would open to the world beyond. Except, it didn't budge. Natsu pushed on the door again, this time, with a little more force. The door barely moved an inch. Looking behind the door, Natsu checked to see if he had misread the tide.

Though he always knew when the world beyond was ready for his season, the realm of Summer also had a way to keep track of the appropriate day. The door Natsu used to make his crossing was covered by a vast ocean. As the day drew closer for him to cross over, the ocean would slowly relinquish its hold on it. The water would pull back from the shoreline and reveal its sunken treasure. The ocean was far in the distance with miles of shoreline stretching behind Natsu. The feeling inside of his chest wasn't wrong, but something else was. The last time his door wouldn't open….

Furrowing his brow, Natsu placed both his hands on the door and pushed against it. He called forth the power of his realm and commanded the door to open. Slowly, the door obeyed, revealing the blinding light that would take him from his realm and to his love. Sighing, Natsu didn't even look back as he hurried into the light. When he arrived on earth, the usual bright brown eyes that greeted him without fail were nowhere in sight.

"Lucy?" he called out to her, thinking she was just playing hide and seek. The Maiden of Spring could be mischievous from time to time, but would make herself known before long. Looking around as he waited, Natsu noticed things appeared different. The land seemed pale and brittle, like it had received just the faintest of touches from Spring. There were no full blooms on the trees, but shriveled up leaf buds. The lush green fields were brown or barren. A few animals staggered about with noses pressed against the dirt and frantic eyes that darted around laced with starvation.

Natsu took in the sight before him and started running. This wasn't right. He had to find Lucy. She loved her season. She loved making the land bloom. There was no way she would allow something like this to happen. _Something is terribly wrong._ Natsu shoved that thought down, but as he ran deeper into the world, the sights he encountered kept propelling that thought back into his mind. He searched the entire day and throughout the night, from the highest mountain top to the lowest valley, calling out Lucy's name over and over again. He left no stone unturned, but still nothing. The Maiden of Spring, it seemed, had vanished.

"Lucy," Natsu whispered gazing at the star dotted sky. "Where are you?" It was near the time he would normally bid his love farewell, so Natsu decided to venture to where her door normally manifested next. It was the only place he had left to check. He shifted into a running stance, about to sprint across the field he was currently standing in when a noise from the tree line made him pause. Peering into the darkness, he watched as a figure emerged.

"Lucy!" He shouted closing the distance to her in a single leap. He wrapped her in his arms as he landed and held her tight.

"What is the meaning of this?" A sharp voice demanded.

"Erza?" Erza, the Maiden of Autumn glared down at Natsu. Natsu stared, wide-eyed at the tall beautiful woman he held in his arms. His heart stuttered at the realization of who he held. He broke away from her and stumbled back. "But how? Why are you here?"

The humans claimed Autumn was a second spring, but Erza was Lucy's opposite in many ways. Though both Maidens were startlingly beautiful, Erza's beauty was more mature compared to Lucy's youthful exuberance. Her scarlet hair fell straight and long down her back, like a red cape. Her brown eyes were hard and her mouth was set in a grim line. Erza was not unkind, but she lacked patience for anything that disrupted order. During the day between their seasons, Erza would usually scold Natsu for his shortcomings when his season had claimed the earth. The day he spent with Lucy always seemed so short, but the day with Erza felt like an eternity. Natsu didn't dislike Erza, but he had long since grown to fear her wrath. In a rare moment, the Maiden of Autumn had once expressed to Natsu, that she had to be tough in order to snap the humans out of their Summer dreams before the harsh reality of Winter buried them. There was no time for politeness. Every day needed to be spent preparing for Winter's inevitable arrival. Natsu realized then, that Erza's dominating presence and tough personality were her means of expressing how deeply she cared about the earth and its inhabitants. Out of all the seasons, hers was the heaviest burden to bare.

"Why am _I_ here?" Her brown eyes narrowed.

"I mean…I only made my crossing this morning. My season has not even run its course yet. Dawn hasn't even risen on the first day of Summer," Natsu explained quickly.

"What? That cannot be." Disbelief flickered in Erza's eyes. "I should not have been able to make the crossing then. Yet, my realm displayed it was time for my season to reign over the earth."

"That doesn't make any sense," Natsu shook his head. Autumn could not come until the final rays of his Summer faded. Erza's realm should never have allowed her to make her crossing. Spring was still in the final stages of setting. What was going on?

"Are you claiming my words untrue?" Erza's tone darkened. Natsu shook his head quickly. The last thing he wanted to do right now was anger her. "Where is the Maiden of Spring then? If Summer has not dawned then Spring should still be present."

Natsu's heart cracked a little at the mention of his beloved. He had spent their one day searching for her, but he still couldn't find her. Now Erza was here. He didn't know what that meant, or what was going on. Never in all the years of his existence had something like this happened. He couldn't deny it any longer. Something was terribly wrong.

"I can't find her," Natsu admitted. "I searched everywhere, but she's not here."

He recounted how his realm had indicated it was time to make his crossing, but his door wouldn't open as it should. After using his power to open his door, he came to the earth and discovered that Lucy was missing and the earth looked frozen, as if it were waiting for Spring. He spent the entire day circling the earth, looking for any trace of the Maiden of Spring. However, everywhere he went yielded the same answers. The Maiden of Spring was gone.

"I see," Erza said. "My crossing was difficult as well."

Erza shifted her eyes from him to scan across the land, and Natsu watched her eyes narrow further as she took in the state of the world. The Maiden bent and ran her hand along the ground. Her eyes widened in shock. "This should not be." Straightening, she twirled her scythe, before stamping it on the ground. A blast of Autumn's wind blew across the field and rattled the bare branches of the trees, her scarlet hair streaming behind her as her wind swirled around her. "The land is hovering in between seasons. Winter has released its hold, but Spring has yet to claim her season. The earth is trapped in this limbo state, explaining why we were able to cross before our time. The Maiden of Spring's disappearance is disrupting the natural order of our seasons."

"We need to find her. Lucy would never allow something like this to happen. I have a bad feeling that something has happened to her." Natsu voiced his worry, and saying it out loud made his heart contract further. This wasn't like her last disappearance. He had a feeling this was much worse.

"Finding the Maiden of Spring is imperative to returning the order of the seasons. The time between seasons has become a season unto itself and has spread across the world. The earth cannot remain in this limbo state. Spring must claim the earth otherwise…" Erza trailed off, but Natsu had overheard enough from the humans to know what happened the last time Lucy wasn't there to let the earth bloom.

"I was just about to head to where her door normally manifests. Maybe it will offer us some clues about what happened to her," Natsu suggested. Erza nodded and stepped aside so that Natsu could lead the way. The Lord of Summer tracked down the spot where he would reluctantly say his farewells to the Maiden of Spring. As Natsu crested the hill, the door to Spring came into view. The sight of it sent his heart into a dangerous spiral. Lucy's door was there, completely intact, but coated in a thick layer of ice.

"This is not good." Erza ran her fingers over the ice just briefly, before snatching her hand away. "Our doors are a representation of us and reflect our state of being."

"So Lucy...she's trapped in ice?" Natsu breathed.

The first thought that came to Natsu was that he needed to melt the ice on Lucy's door. Lucy had to be trapped in her realm, unable to get out because of the ice encasing her door. He ran his hands over the ice, drawing up the heat of Summer in order to melt it. Usually, snow and ice melted with the faintest of touches from him, but this ice remained. Dawn was now streaking the sky, and Natsu commanded the sun to shine directly on Lucy's door. He wove the sun's rays with his own power and worked to melt the ice. Despite his efforts, the ice remained as if it never felt his heat at all.

"How can this be?" He stared at the ice and then at his hands, unable to believe that his power couldn't melt it. "What does this mean?"

"The Maiden of Spring is in terrible danger," Erza spoke gravely.

Natsu swore viciously and attacked the ice once more. The sun had crept higher into the sky and he kept directing its rays towards the ice. Over and over again, he sent fiery waves to consume the ice, but to no avail. The ice remained unscathed.

"Enough," Erza bellowed, stamping her scythe on the ground again. A great blast of cool wind sent Natsu tumbling away from Lucy's door. He jumped to his feet when the wind disappeared, glaring at Erza.

"I have to save her!" He yelled. "If I melt the ice then she—"

"You know you cannot melt that ice," Erza snapped. "Our doors mirror our state of being. They merely _reflect_ it, but do not affect it."

Natsu glanced behind Erza at Lucy's door and his heart wept. He knew what Erza was saying was true. But he couldn't help but try. His love. His bright smiling love was trapped in ice somewhere and he wasn't there to save her.

"I don't know what else to do?" Natsu's features crumbled. "I searched everywhere for Lucy, but I can't find her. She's not here. I don't know where else to look."

The Maiden of Autumn fixed her gaze on Natsu and shook her head. "Your emotional connection with the Maiden of Spring is impeding your logic and abilities to assess the situation. Look around and you'll find your answer."

Natsu bit back his retort and did as she demanded. He looked away from Lucy's door and around the hill. He didn't know what he was looking for, but then he realized Lucy's door wasn't the only one manifested here. The other three guardian doors were manifested as well. Across from Lucy's door was Erza's. The mahogany door bore depictions of a great harvest. Pumpkins, squash, corn, wheat and many other crops tumbled out of a great cornucopia that crowned the top. Fat, well grazed animals framed the bottom of the door as well. Mingled in with the other images, were pictures of humans celebrating or diligently working. In the center of the door were three oak leaves: one a blazing red, another a vibrant orange, and the last a golden yellow.

In between Lucy's and Erza's door was his own, but across from Natsu's door was one he had never seen before. It was made completely out of ice and the only carving was the one in the middle. Natsu had ventured onto the tops of enough mountains to know the image was that of a snowflake. The door belonged to the mysterious Lord of Winter.

"Given that our realms reacted similarly to the earth being in this limbo state, I assume every realm felt the call to crossover," Erza explained. "Yet, it is strange that only you and I are here. After seeing the state of the Maiden of Spring's door, and with the absence of the Lord of Winter, there can only be one conclusion."

"Lucy is trapped in the realm of Winter." The moment the words left his lips, Natsu knew that they were true. He took another look at Lucy's door and his anger flared up. "I know Lucy. She would never abandon the earth to be stuck in this state. She had to be taken against her will. That Winter bastard took her."

"As you know, we are bound by rules while we are on earth. Besides the day between two seasons, a guardian must never venture into a season that is not his own. We are immortals, but if we break this rule, we endanger our existence." Erza's words resurfaced the dreadful memory of Lucy crying out in pain during that brief moment she crossed into Summer. The Maiden of Autumn strode to the Lord of Winter's door and pressed the blade of her scythe to the door. The door shone with the same blinding light that transported each guardian during the crossing. When the light faded, a portal to the realm of Winter remained. "Yet, I do not know the consequences if a guardian should enter another guardian's realm. Spring is powerful, but I don't know how long she can survive in a land that only knows Winter."

"Damn the consequences," Natsu seethed. "I'll burn the whole realm down in order to get Lucy back."

"You will do no such thing." Erza blocked the passage to Winter, directing the blade of her scythe at Natsu. "We will rescue the Maiden of Spring so that she might claim the earth once again and set the seasons back to their natural order. Too many rules have been broken, and I will ensure that no more go ignored. The balance of the earth must be kept. Do you understand, Lord of Summer?"

It took a colossal effort for Natsu to reign in his temper after learning that the Lord of Winter had endangered Lucy, but under Erza's glare, he managed to tighten the leash on his anger.

"I understand," he answered through gritted teeth.

"Good. Now, we make haste to right the wrong that has been done." Erza lowered her scythe and flicked her scarlet hair behind her before walking through the door.

"I'm going to save you Lucy," Natsu vowed as he stared at her door, still encased in ice. His anger roared for revenge and he fed it many silent promises too. The Lord of Summer followed after the Maiden of Autumn and entered the realm of Winter.


	8. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  
I hope everyone is enjoying the freshness of 2017. This will be the first chapter release of the new year and I'm excited for many more. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think! Much love!

This chapter was beta read by: Zaravarine. Thank you for helping me! You're always such a delight!

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 **"I will find you.**

 **In the farthest corner, I will find you."**

 **― Mary E. Pearson, The Kiss of Deception**

Natsu thought he was blind. All he could see was white. Momentarily stunned, his eyes widened, trying to force his sight to push past his sudden blindness. He felt and heard a roaring wind tearing at him from all directions, but he couldn't see anything. A flash of scarlet in his peripheral broke up the white. Natsu blinked and turned his head towards the right. Scarlet hair swirled around the Maiden of Autumn, streams of color that stood out against the stark background. Sighing with relief, the Lord of Summer shook his head at his own stupidity.

The wind that blew around them flung up several layers of snow, cocooning Erza and Natsu in walls of white. Natsu reached for his power to melt the snow away, but Erza held out her hand to stop him.

"Conserve your strength, Lord of Summer," she demanded as she swung her scythe in a wide arc. The rushing wind disappeared instantly, causing the snow to float back down to the ground.

Without the blinding walls of white, Natsu could see the the realm of Winter more clearly. The flat, white land stretched on for miles in all directions. It looked like a desolate, snowy wasteland. The sky was covered in a thick knot of clouds, turning it a deep gray color, almost black in areas. There was no way of discerning whether it was day or night because of them.

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu asked, frantically turning around to see if he could spot any clues to her whereabouts.

"I know the realm of Winter as well as I know the realm of Spring or your realm of Summer," Erza replied, a lace of irritation coloring her tone.

"I know that," Natsu snapped back. The withering look Erza gave him softened Natsu's tone. "I mean… I-I didn't know if you had any suggestions on where to start looking for her. I want to find her quickly and then leave. I don't like the fact that Lucy's lost in a place like this. There's no life here."

"It is not our place to judge another guardian's realm." Erza turned away from Natsu, her gaze staring off towards the north. "But I agree with you, Lord of Summer. We must make haste to retrieve the Maiden of Spring from this realm. She is the essence of life, and, as you can see, the Lord of Winter's realm does not encourage such an existence." Erza started walking towards the north, her footsteps barely sinking into the snow. Natsu stared after her for a moment, her words were like icy shards, clinging to his heart.

Lucy , he thought, his mind conjuring up her bright, smiling face. Lucy was full of life, making the world grow and blossom. There was no telling what a long exposure in this unforgiving realm would do to her. Natsu trudged after Erza, his feet sunk several inches into the snow with every step. The Lord of Summer hurried to rescue his love, not wanting to find out the answer.

Time flowed differently in the guardian's realms than it did on earth. As Erza and Natsu ventured deeper into the new realm, it felt like centuries had past since they first arrived in Winter. It was hard to even gauge the distance the pair had travelled, due to the lack of landmarks. Everything around them was white. Erza kept using her power to control the wind, preventing the chilling gusts from touching them or from flinging the snow around and blinding them again.

Natsu had offered to burn away the snow to make their travels easier, (well, his travels easier) since he kept sinking into the snow, unlike Erza; however, Erza wanted him to conserve his strength. Natsu wanted to protest, but he knew better than to argue with the Maiden of Autumn. So, the pair continued on their slow gait through the realm of Winter, desperately searching for Lucy.

At first, Natsu couldn't make out what he was seeing. A large structure protruded from the white ground and into the darkened skies. It was the first landmark the pair had seen since their arrival. The clouds parted briefly and Natsu could see strange lights coming from the top. He couldn't explain it, but Natsu knew that Lucy was somewhere inside there.

"She's there!" Natsu started to run towards the structure, using his flames to melt the snow around him. He ignored Erza's shout of protest, completely consumed with the need to get to Lucy. Finally, he had found her. He urged his feet to move faster as the structure grew closer. Natsu's body was surrounded by his flames, cutting a path through the realm of white. Charging forward, Natsu's only thought was saving his love. His flames circled around his feet and arms, the Lord of Summer commanding them to propel him forward, flinging his body the final distance towards the structure. As his body arched in the sky, he was met with a hard wall of wind that flung him backwards.

Buried under many layers of snow, Natsu tried to burn away the white, but he was met with the same wall of wind that pummeled him deeper and deeper into the snow. The wind ceased its assault and wrapped around him. Natsu struggled against it, but he couldn't burn it away. He was picked up and flown out of the the crater of snow. Hovering in the air, Natsu was encased in a ball of chilly wind.

A whip of scarlet hair told Natsu who was responsible for the wind, before the rest of her figure emerged from the snowy world. Natsu gulped as he stared down into the hard eyes of the Maiden of Autumn. Erza gripped the staff of her scythe hard and narrowed her eyes further at Natsu.

"You fool!" she bellowed up at him.

"Erza! Lucy...She's-"

"SILENCE!" With a flick of her finger, the wind constricted around Natsu. His body crumbled closer together under the force of Erza's power. Calling forth his own power, Natsu tried to break free, but found it difficult to manage even a flicker of strength. What was going on? The wind encasement disappeared, causing Natsu to drop to the ground like a stone.

"What? What's happening? My power…" Natsu trailed off as Erza stood over him, scowling down at him.

"Do you understand now, Lord of Summer, why I kept telling you to conserve your strength?" she chided. "You are far from the realm of Summer. I suspected being in the realm of Winter would have an effect on you, so I did not want you to burn out of your power before we found the Maiden of Spring. Yet, you charged forward without any consideration, severely endangering yourself and any chance of rescuing the Maiden."

Natsu stared at his hands, stunned. He never thought being in the realm of Winter would affect him this way. For the entirety of his existence, his power seemed limitless. In his realm, on earth, it was always with him. But Erza had been using her power all this time, why wasn't she affected by being in another guardian's realm too?

"If I can't use my power, then why can you?" Natsu asked, not fully understanding the situation.

Erza twirled her finger, a spring of wind jolted Natsu's to his feet. "My power will not fade as quickly as yours since it is similar to that of the Lord of Winter's."

"Similar?"

"Yes, just as the Maiden of Spring's power is similar to yours," Erza explained. "On earth, we four guardians maintain this balance. No guardian has power that could completely overwhelm the other. We stand as equals. However, in a guardian's realm, it seems that balance does not apply. Think of our seasons as the course of a day. The Maiden of Spring is the dawn and you are the high noon. Whereas I am the twilight, and the Lord of Winter is the night. You two know nothing of darkness—of ending life. You and the Maiden of the Spring are at a severe disadvantage in a realm that exists solely to snuff out life. The same disadvantage would be applied the Lord of Winter and myself if we were to venture into your realm, Lord of Summer."

"I didn't realize," Natsu said, feeling his power trying to huddle together inside of him. "Shit."

Erza shook her head at him. "It was just a theory of mine that was unfortunately proven true. Now that you know, do not use your power anymore while you are here. There is no telling what might happen if it depletes."

Natsu nodded in agreement, and turned back towards the structure ahead of them. "She's in there," he claimed. "I can feel it. Lucy's at the very top."

"Then, that is where we shall go," Erza declared. The Maiden of Autumn twirled her scythe above her head, and a great spiral of wind emerged from beneath her. It grew and tucked itself under Natsu's feet as well. The spiral of wind lifted them off the ground and Erza directed it to rise side by side the protrusion. Natsu realized that the structure was actually a giant pillar of ice as the pair ascended to the top. The higher they climbed, Natsu could see more of the realm of Winter spread below them. He was right to think of it as a white wasteland. There was nothing in this realm besides snow and this pillar of ice. Natsu imagined the rolling fields, the endless ocean, the bright blue sky, racing animals, sweet scents and warm air that made up his own realm. He brought that vivacity and adventure brimming in his realm of Summer to earth every year. Seeing the stark nothingness below him, he realized now why Erza worked so hard to prepare the humans during her season. The Lord of Winter brought nothing, except for a white, cold death.

The top of the pillar came into view. A great palace was sculpted from the ice, crowning the top. The lights Natsu had seen earlier were being emitted from the ice that constructed the palace. Ribbons of electric blue and green swirled with whorls of purple all over the ice. It was the only remarkable thing Natsu had seen in this place. Erza guided the spiral of wind beneath them to a balcony jutting out from the eastern side of the palace. The moment his feet touched the ice, Natsu took off with a jolt. An iron grip caught his shoulder before he could enter the building, flinging him back.

"Ow," he hissed as he landed hard on floor. A crack appeared in the ice, indicating the force Erza had used to pull him back.

"Has the ice and snow frozen your brain or has it long since melted away, Lord of Summer?" Erza snapped. "It is not wise to rush into a place where you know not the dangers it holds, especially without a plan."

"I have plan. Find Lucy and save her," the Lord of Summer protested. "To hell with dangers. I'll make sure the Winter bastard won't be able to conjure up a single snowflake."

"With what power?" Erza argued exasperated. "You are powerless here. I thought you understood that?"

Natsu didn't have a response to that. He wasn't used to being powerless. Lucy was so close, he could feel it. All he cared about was getting to her. He would find a way to overcome his handicap.

"The Lord of Winter has already disturbed the delicate balance of the seasons by bringing the Maiden of Spring here. I do not need you wrecking it any further by sacrificing yourself here as well. Your emotional attachment to the Maiden of Spring is impeding your judgement again. You need to remain calm, Lord of Summer; otherwise, you'll ruin any chance of rescuing the Maiden and righting this terrible wrong.

"We will take the Maiden of Spring and run. We will not fight the guardian in his own realm. He has the advantage over both of us. I could stop him for a time, but even my power won't be enough to subdue him while we are in his territory." Erza gripped her scythe tighter, seemingly upset that she had to admit her weakness.

"He needs to be punished!" Natsu yelled. "He can't get away with putting Lucy in danger like this. What's to stop him from doing it again?"

"We will stop him," Erza shouted back. "But not now. Not here. Things are too perilous and we both are not in any condition to face the Lord of Winter in the depths of his realm."

The Lord of Summer stared hard for a long while at the Maiden of Autumn, but finally gave her a curt nod. Taking that as his submission, Erza relaxed her shoulders a little.

"What's the plan then?" Natsu asked, crossing his arms.

"You sensed the Maiden's presence in here. You will lead the way and we will proceed with extreme caution," Erza stressed these words, making Natsu huff in response. "Once we locate her, we will take her back to earth where she will resurrect Spring onto the land and set the seasons back on track."

"And the Winter bastard?" Natsu glowered. "I doubt he's just going to let us take Lucy and leave without a fight. After all, he's the one that brought her here in the first place and started this mess. He obviously doesn't care about the balance of the seasons if he's willing to go this far."

Erza narrowed her eyes. "We avoid the Lord of Winter at all costs. However, if he tries to stop us, I'll hold him off as long as I can. Meanwhile, you will stick with the plan. Take the Maiden and return to earth."

Natsu gritted his teeth. He couldn't tell who he was more annoyed with, himself for not being able to use his power to pummel Lord Snowflake into dust or Lord Snowflake for starting all of this mess. His fury roared inside of him to ignore Erza and find Winter in order to beat him senseless, but Natsu silenced it. Lucy's rescue was more important than his revenge. Once she was safe and far from this white, barren wasteland, Natsu would allow his fury to roam free.

"This way," Natsu said as he walked into the Lord of Winter's palace.

The interior of the palace was as bland and characterless as the rest of the realm. The long hallways that Natsu led them down were unadorned. The Lord of Summer had a feeling that the rooms behind the doors they passed were empty as well. With great restraint, Natsu kept a cautious gait as he followed the sensation that directed him to Lucy. Erza followed him closely, her body tensed and alert for detecting signs of trouble. It was when the pair arrived in front of two giant doors that Natsu's self control snapped. The sense leading him rang through him, alerting him that who he sought was behind those doors.

"In here!" Natsu shouted, racing to the doors and flinging them open. Erza swore and hurried after him.

The room had to be the great hall of the palace. It was cavernous, with vaulting ceilings that seemed to have no end, large pillars of sculpted ice lined the sides of the room, towering into the shadows above. In the very back of the room was a massive throne of ice, steps ascending to it. However, it was what laid behind the throne that froze Natsu and Erza where they stood. A great orb of clear ice rested behind it, and inside it was the Maiden of Spring.

"LUUCCCYYY!" Natsu raced across the ice, his feet slipping in his haste to get to her. Erza didn't even move to stop him, her eyes wide and horrified at what she saw. Natsu was a ball of fire as he charged through the ice throne, shattering it. Large chunks of ice fell around him as Natsu landed, sliding on the floor. Unable to stop his momentum, he crashed into the orb and fell. Staring up at his love, Natsu ignored his pain and shook his head in disbelief. "What has he done?"

Forgetting Erza's warnings and the danger it could cause, Natsu picked himself off the ground and flung his power at the orb. He had to get her out. His love was trapped in ice and displayed like some sort of trophy. As his flames engulfed the ice, he fueled them with his fury. There was no way he was going to let the Lord of Winter get away with this.

"Lord of Summer!" Erza shouted behind him, but he ignored her. His only thought was getting Lucy out of that ice. Pushing his power further, he commanded his flames to burn hotter and hotter. He didn't want Lucy inside that ice a second longer. When he thought enough layers had been melted, Natsu reeled in his flames. He was too afraid of harming Lucy, but believed he could break through the orb now.

"Natsu!" He heard Erza yell out his name when he dropped to his knees, breathing hard. Using his power was draining him. He could feel the realm of Winter seeping into him slowly, trying to extinguish the fire that burned inside. His power was fighting desperately to keep his flame burning, curling tightly together at his core. When his flames receded from the orb, he stilled. The heat of his flames was equal to the sun itself, but the orb remained unscathed. There was no damage.

"How can that be?" Natsu stared at the orb, seemingly unaffected by his power. Natsu was the Lord of Summer. His power allowed him to melt anything. He was heat and flames and fire. Ice and snow melted under his power. Raising his hands in front of him, he realized just how powerless he had become. When his love needed him most, he couldn't do anything.

Curling his hands into fist, Natsu yelled, enraged. He beat the ice with his bare fists. He had to rescue her. Lucy was right there, needing him. He couldn't fail her now.

"Lucy! Lucy!" His fists beat harder and harder against the ice. "I'm here! Can you hear me? I'm right here. I'll get you out, so just hold on. Lucy! Lucy! LUCY!"

"Annoying," a cold voice snarled through the room. A great gust of icy wind, several degrees colder than Erza's, flung Natsu back. The Lord of Summer landed on his side, sliding across the floor of the great hall. Natsu winced as he felt pain ring through his body. Looking up, he saw a male figure now standing in front of the orb Lucy was in, a hand caressing the ice tenderly.

"Get away from her!" Natsu roared, picking himself up and racing back to Lucy's side. Yet, the icy wind threw him back again. Great daggers of ice fell from the shadows of the high ceilings, forming a cage around Natsu.

The male's hand trailed across the side of the orb as he walked away. Stepping over the chunks of ice that once made up the throne, the male flicked his wrist. The ice reformed behind him, repairing the damage Natsu had caused. The Lord of Summer peered through the bars of his cage as the male seated himself on the throne. The rage inside of Natsu thrashed in his veins when the person flashed him a wicked grin.

"Natsu. Stop," Erza commanded softly, her voice full of urgency. "You cannot fight him. Remember what I told you. This is his realm. He's-"

Natsu didn't need Erza to tell him. He knew the moment he saw the person who he was. The final guardian had arrived. Seated on his icy throne, reigning over the white wasteland below them, was…

"The Lord of Winter," Natsu sneered.


	9. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Loves!  
There's one more (okay...maybe two) chapters left of this fic. It's so weird coming to the end of a fic. One-shots are a different story, and even though this wasn't a very long fic, it still feels kind of weird completing it. The good kind of weird that is...Anywho! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

Shoutout to dannibolt18 for reading over the first draft for me. It turns out...I am an evil author. I couldn't help but remember what you said and the little demon on my shoulder won the debate.

* * *

 **"Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail" -Proverb**

"And you are?" Gray asked, staring at the male currently caged in his great hall, even though he knew full well who the person was. From the moment the male had entered his realm, accompanied by the Maiden of Autumn, his Winter had felt threatened. The male was the complete embodiment of everything Winter was not. There was a great, burning power inside of the person and his Winter wanted nothing more than to snuff it out. Feeling the presence draw closer, Gray's alarms only grew. However, now that he was face-to-face with the male, it seemed the realm of Winter was succeeding in slowly eliminating the threat. The power that Gray had felt at the male's arrival was significantly lower. At that revelation, the Lord of Winter's eyes narrowed and his grin widened.

"Lord of Winter," the commanding voice of the Maiden of Autumn rung out in the hall. Gray slid his eyes to her, meeting her hard gaze. They had met each other only once, but Gray would recognize that scarlet hair anywhere.

The one day Autumn and Winter shared the earth, during their first meeting, Erza had made it clear that Gray was not to interfere with her work. Every second she was on the earth she would claim and not yield a moment of daylight to his Winter. Gray only agreed to her demands because it didn't affect him or his upcoming season at all. Erza could spend every second of her season prepping the humans, the animals, and the land all she wanted. When the dawn of Winter shone, ready or not, the world would become his to rule over.

After their first meeting, the Lord of Winter had no interest in the Maiden of Autumn. He could feel her power was a kin to his own. It was cold and harsh and demanding. It had the same effect of _ending_ as his did. The Maiden of Autumn held no mystery for him; so, he never sought her out again and neither she, him. For the duration of their shared day, Gray would avoid the Maiden of Autumn and seclude himself on a mountain top. There, he would cocoon himself in a blizzard not even Erza's cool winds could subdue. When he felt her presence leave the earth, he would unleash the blizzard throughout the land, covering everything in white.

"Maiden of Autumn," Gray greeted, inclining his head slightly. "Another unwelcome visitor in my realm."

"The Lord of Summer and myself have only ventured here to right the great wrong you have done," Erza replied.

The Lord of Winter smirked. He relaxed in his throne, propping his head up against his knuckles as he rested his elbow on the armrest. "What is this great wrong you speak of, Maiden of Autumn?"

"Gray-" Erza narrowed her eyes further, about to list all the wrongs the guardian had committed; however, Natsu exploded into a ball of flame, shattering his ice cage into splinters that shot across the room, cutting her off. Gray watched Natsu's anger manifest around him, erupting into flames that covered his entire body. The realm of Winter shuttered at the power burning inside of the guardian, eager to smother the flames.

"You bastard!" Natsu yelled. "You know what the hell you did! You stole Lucy and brought her to this wasteland. I'm here to take her back!" Natsu's words only made Gray's smirk widen.

"Well," Gray replied. "You can try."

Natsu shot forward, covering the distance between him and Gray in an instant. He aimed a fiery punch right at Gray's face. Gray waved his hand in front of him, a thick shield of ice formed, blocking Natsu's attack. Their gazes locked through the clear ice. Natsu's eyes were two burning pieces of coal fueled with rage; while Gray's eyes were cold and hard, like two fragments of black ice.

"Is this the great power of the Lord of Summer?" Gray asked. Even though Natsu's fist was coated with flames, the ice between them remained undamaged. "I expected more."

"Shut the hell up!" Natsu gritted his teeth together, as he threw punch after punch against Gray's shield.

With his power, Gray created deadly spears of ice in the air above Natsu's head. He flicked his fingers downward and the ice spears hurtled towards the unsuspecting lord. Before they could reach Natsu, Erza appeared, swinging her scythe to guard against the attack. The spears were flung into the distance by her wind, shattering where they landed. Then, Erza used her wind to separate herself and Natsu from Gray.

"Tch." The Lord of Winter stood, dissolving his shield. The Maiden of Autumn wasn't as readily affected by his realm like the Lord of Summer. The realm of Winter saw her as an ally of sorts. It would take longer for it to realize there was a bit of fire lingering in her essence. The Maiden of Autumn twirled her scythe and stamped it on the ground. A great gust of wind rippled out from her and her glare bore into Gray. Erza was going to be a problem.

"Lord of Winter," Erza called out to him. "Cease this madness and return the Maiden of Spring at once. Her absence upon the earth has ruined the balance of the seasons. Without her power, the world cannot bloom. An eternal winter will grip the land."

"The ice ensnares. The snow buries. The frost coats. The freeze silences," Gray claimed, beginning his descent from his throne. "None of the these things under my command brings forth life. My power is the end to everything. The earth trapped in an eternal winter? Why wouldn't that appeal to me?"

"You cannot be serious?" Erza said, disbelief coloring her tone. "Everything. All life…would perish."

"Let it perish then," Gray declared, stepping off the final step.

"Is that why you took Lucy as your prisoner?" Natsu asked. "So you could have your eternal winter?"

"Prisoner?" Irritation snagged the Lord of Winter when Natsu spoke. "Why would I imprison my lover?"

"L-lover?" Natsu choked on the word.

"What?" Erza gasped. "But the Maiden of Spring, I thought she…." Her voice trailed off and her gaze flicked to Natsu; who, Gray noted, looked like the breath had been knocked out of him. It wouldn't be long now until the realm of Winter finished suffocating his fire. Gray took solace in that thought.

"Maiden of Autumn, you claim that I've committed a great wrong, but I disagree," Gray argued. "All I've done is made it so I wouldn't have to be parted from the one I love."

"In your realm, she will die! Despite your supposed love, the Maiden of Spring cannot remain here. Your emotions do not give you bounds to disrupt the balance and break the rules that govern over us!" Erza shouted.

"What you say is true. The moment I brought Lucy here, my Winter wanted to consume her. However, the orb she is encased in prevents the effects of my realm from reaching her. Inside, she'll remain unaffected and safe," Gray explained. Erza looked towards the orb the Maiden was encased in. If what the Lord of Winter stated was true, then she was safe for the time being.

"I had grown bored living in this white world alone," Gray continued, snapping Erza's focus back to him. "At first, I relished in my power being the end to all things. However, the centuries passed in a slow stretch of white nothingness. I thought I had grown numb to it all, until the day I met her. Everything with life hated and feared my Winter, yet she looked at this cold world and called it beautiful." Gray's gaze looked fondly towards Lucy, as he spoke, a soft smile lighting his features. Erza was shocked. She had seen that look before. It was the same look Natsu got when he spoke about the Maiden of Spring. Gray really was in love with her.

"It was only one day," Gray said, turning back to Erza. "But she changed me. I thought I was numb, but with her...I began...to feel. I can't-I won't go back to how things were before. I don't care if everything else disappears as long as I have her!"

"You are serious," Erza gripped the staff of her scythe, fury rolling inside of her. "You are willing to sacrifice everything for your own selfish desire because of one day?"

"It wasn't enough!" Gray yelled in response. "Since you worship the absurd rules that bind each guardian, you understand that one day was all I would have with her. One day a year for all eternity...that one day Winter and Spring shared the earth…it's not enough!"

The Lord of Winter's words struck Natsu. He had said something similar. ' _It's never enough_ ' were the words he told to Lucy when he had to let her go back to her realm. The feeling of wanting to stay by her side for more than just one day, Natsu understood that. He understood it so well his heart ached. That feeling had once driven him to do something reckless as well. Natsu had ignored the alarms of his instinct when he tried to bring Lucy to his season. The consequences of that action still haunted him. Looking at the Lord of Winter now, Natsu hated it, but he understood him.

"One day a year for all eternity is more time than any human could ever hope for," Natsu said, repeating Lucy's words. "But you still hope for so much more," Natsu mumbled, looking past Gray at his love trapped in an orb of ice. She seemed so pleasant and unaware of the state she was in. It only appeared as though she was merely sleeping.

"What did you say, Lord of Summer?" Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu.

"You're right. It's not enough." Natsu spoke louder. "But it's all you have, so you make it enough!" He would give anything to be able to spend his eternity with Lucy, but not like this. Even though he could relate to the Lord of Winter's feelings, Natsu could not approve of his actions. "Trapping Lucy here, destroying the one thing she loves most...you're wrong if you believe any of that can be called love."

Gray started laughing. "I suppose someone like you, showered in love from the earth, from the humans, from anything with life, can say one day could be enough. However, the love Lucy provides is of a far higher caliber than the love you receive from dirt and beasts. You just want Lucy so that she can pave the path for your season of admirers. You want to be their little sun lord basking in all that adoration." Gray stopped laughing, glaring daggers at Natsu. "You know nothing ab-"

"I know because I love her!" Natsu shouted, cutting Gray off and meeting his glare.

"You love her?" Gray whispered, flicking his gaze to Lucy and then back to Natsu. The temperature in the room was already cold, but it dropped significantly further. His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he stared at the Lord of Summer.

"The one day between Spring and Summer is something I cherish. It's not enough, and it never could be enough...but, it's all I have with her. That one day a year I can be with Lucy, is where I live my eternity."

"Enough," Gray stamped his foot down on the floor, a wave of ice shot away from him and towards Natsu."My love is the only love Lucy needs!" Erza jumped in front of the Lord of Summer, using her wind to deflect it. However, the force of the attack was too much for her to stop it all. The ice rained down, slicing into them. Natsu called forth his power and burned the rest of it away.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing him panting from the effort it took to use his flames.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth.

"You are-" She didn't have time to finish, because the Lord of Winter continued his assaults.

"Shred them to pieces!" Gray shouted. From the shadows of the ceilings above, creatures made of ice and snow dropped down, surrounding Erza and Natsu. They were hideous looking creatures, with sharp claws and snapping teeth of ice. One creature rushed towards Erza, claws aimed to maim. She used her wind to defend herself, cutting the creature into two. The creature's body merely twitched once on the floor, before the snow it consisted of pulled its segmented pieces back together again. It shook off her attack and leapt at her again.

"Erza, look out!" Natsu yelled. Another one of Gray's ice creatures leapt at Erza from behind. Erza encased herself in her wind, using her power as a barrier. She extended the barrier to engulf Natsu behind her walls of wind as well.

"I cannot hold them off for long," Erza admitted, her teeth clenched with the effort to maintain the barrier as the creatures threw themselves against it. "If what the Lord of Winter claims is true, then the Maiden of Spring, should be fine. For now."

"True. I hate it, but," Natsu bit the inside of his cheek. "He loves her. I don't think he wants to harm her."

"Do you think then…" Erza looked uncomfortable, as if the next words she was about to say were difficult to speak. It was weird for Natsu to see her look like that, but Erza shook off whatever silent battle she was waging in her mind, her eyes hardening again. "We must consider the possibility that the Maiden of Spring might reciprocate the Lord of Winter's love and came here willingly. If that is the case, we will have more difficulties ahead."

 _Lucy might love him_? Natsu bit down harder on his cheek until he tasted blood. Even if…even if she no longer loved him, Natsu knew that she would always love the world. There was no way Lucy would abandon the earth like this.

"More than anything else," Natsu said, his voice soft but unwavering. "Lucy's great love is for the earth and all its inhabitants." Erza stared at him, assessing his words. Before she could question him further, Natsu continued. "Erza, I'll keep that bastard busy why you get Lucy out of that ice," Natsu declared. "Once she's free, take her back to earth. I'll hold him off as long as I can."

"Nonsense!" Erza protested. "You are in no state to fight him. We are in the depths of his realm. His power is too much for us. Especially for you. I can see the realm of Winter is close to consuming your power. You cannot use your strength any further. You might…you will—"

"I don't care what happens to me!" Natsu shouted. "The only thing that matters is saving Lucy. I don't mind sacrificing myself if it means she survives!"

Erza saw the unwavering resolve in Natsu's eyes. She gripped her scythe tighter, realizing the only path left to them and hating the choice she had to make. "If you die, the balance will be broken. Who knows what might happen. I cannot let you do this, Natsu."

"Erza, listen!" Natsu pleaded.

The Maiden of Autumn shook her head, pointing her scythe at Natsu. Wind swirled around him in an instant, enclosing him inside a sphere of cool air. Natsu pounded against the walls of wind around him, shouting at Erza to free him. She turned from him, ignoring his demands.

"I will force the Lord of Winter to yield from his madness. The Maiden of Spring will be released and you will not sacrifice yourself. The balance between the guardians and between the seasons that move the earth shall be restored. I will make sure of it," Erza declared.

Raising her scythe, in front of her, she began spinning it; with every revolution, it spun faster and faster, becoming a blur of movement in front of her. The Maiden of Autumn leaned back on her heel, determination marking her features. With a warrior's cry, she broke through her barrier, cutting through the ranks of Gray's ice creatures towards the Lord of Winter himself.

Gray had only enough time to create a spear of ice to parry Erza's attack, but it wasn't enough. The force of Erza's collision pushed Gray backward across the floor. Stabbing the tip of his spear into the ground, Gray jerked to a stop. The ice creatures turned and raced towards Erza, all of them converging on her to prevent her from reaching Gray. Her arms and legs were covered in multiple cuts, but she ignored the pain. Slashing at the creatures with her scythe and with her wind, Erza kept attacking.

A creature managed to break her guard, sinking its jaws into her right shoulder. Erza cried out from the pain lancing through her. Thick layers of ice coated her shoulder where the creature's teeth sunk into her flesh. Another one slashed at her left leg, ice bleeding out from her wound. Erza gritted her teeth as she propelled the creatures off of her with a great buffet from her wind. Panting, she clutched her right shoulder that was now nothing more than a chunk of ice. Looking down, she noticed her left leg was entirely encased in ice as well. The creatures circled her, their ice teeth and claws glinting in anticipation of shredding her to pieces.

"Why do you still persist, Erza?" Gray called out to her. "You know you cannot win. Your immortality is voided within my realm. You will die if you continue to oppose me."

"For the entirety of my existence, I have fought to ensure that life will survive the harshest of your Winters. I fought to keep the balance. Even now, despite the odds, I will still continue to fight." Slashing the blade of her scythe into the floor, giant twisters sprung from the ground. The twisters trapped Gray's ice creatures in their strong currents, swirling them around and around as they shot skyward. The creatures cried out, but then all was silent. When the twisters disappeared, bits of snow and ice fell softly to the ground.

The Lord of Winter stared at the Maiden of Autumn, standing before him, as the fierce protector ready to defend against him until the very end. Her scarlet hair flew like a cape behind her. She breathed heavily, leaning on her good leg and using her scythe for support. Haggard and wounded, her eyes were burning with the bit of fire that lived inside of her.

"Today, your fight comes to an end," Gray proclaimed. Lifting the head of his spear from the floor, Gray gripped his weapon tighter. It was time to choke out the bit of fire burning inside of the Maiden of Autumn. Erza had spent her Autumns preparing others for his season. Now, it was time to show her how unprepared she really was when faced with the full force of his winter.

Gray charged towards Erza, sending a volley of ice spears towards her. Erza deflected them with her wind, parrying the Lord of Winter's attacks with her scythe. She tried to take a step back, but her ice coated leg wouldn't budge. It had merged with the floor. The ice on her right shoulder was crawling up her arm, immobilizing her further. Gray only laughed as he continued his attacks. With a mighty swipe of his spear, he managed to knock Erza's scythe out of her hand. Her weapon arched in the air, landing feet away.

The Lord of Winter reached out, gripping the slim throat of the Maiden of Autumn. He used his power to speed the process of the ice coating her body. Erza tried to call her wind to protect her, but her power only offered the barest of breezes. Winter was finally draining her. Her legs, torso and arms were now covered by thick layers of ice. It crawled up her chest and neck while Gray looked coldly into her eyes.

"No matter your resolve, nothing can prepare you for the harshness of Winter. It devours all life and then buries the remains." Gray gripped Erza's neck tighter. "You have lost this fight, Erza. Embrace the truth of Winter."

"Don't count us out yet," Natsu roared, racing towards them. He jumped and landed a kick to Gray's face, sending the lord shooting across the room.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing the Lord of Summer standing in front of her. "But how? My shield."

"You're not as strong as you think," Natsu chuckled.

"Natsu," Erza smiled.

"Give me a moment," Natsu said, calling forth his power. "I'll get you out of there."

"No. You can't use your power further. The realm of Winter is even affecting me now. It's too dangerous."

"I'm fi—"

A spear of ice stabbed Natsu in his shoulder, the force of the impact knocking him to the ground. Natsu cried out, his hand clutching his wound. He looked across the room seeing Gray's hand outstretched, a wicked grin on his face. Natsu gripped the spear protruding from his shoulder, melting it away. His power was already at its limit, but he knew he had to fight. Wobbling to his feet, he looked at Erza, struggling to break free of the ice and pleading for him not to fight. He looked away and towards Lucy, still encased in the orb. His heart ached, wanting so desperately to free her. Finally, he turned back to the Lord of Winter himself, the one who was the cause of all this suffering. His decision was already made.

"I'm going to protect Erza. I'm going to save Lucy. I'm going to defeat you," Natsu swore to Gray.

Gray picked himself off the floor, a cold fury brewing inside of him. He could feel his realm screaming at him to extinguish the life still brimming inside of Natsu, to blow out the bit of fire flickering in Erza. Everything with fire, with life would perish before him. He would create an eternal winter with the only one he cared about at his side. The ice, the snow, and Lucy, Gray needed nothing else.

"Lucy will remain at my side. The land will be covered in ice and snow forever. It is the dawn of our season of love. There is no more need for Summer nor Autumn. It is time for you two to succumb to your fates. Like all things do in Winter…PERISH!" Gray yelled, calling forth from the depths of his power the coldest blizzard he could produce. Immediately, the great chamber hall was engulfed in a whirlwind of freezing air and blinding snow.

Gray's eyes glared at the burning figure in the heart of the blizzard, foolishly attempting to defy his end. More and more and more, he made the blizzard colder, harsher. The Lord of Winter watched as the fire flickered, growing dimmer. This was the end.

Natsu tried to burn away the blizzard swirling around them, but he just wasn't strong enough. His power was barely able to protect him and Erza. As the blizzard pressed down on them, the circle of fire he created to protect them kept shrinking.

"Damnit!" Natsu yelled at himself, as he fell to his knees. He couldn't fail now and let his fire go out. Erza needed his help; and he wouldn't let Lucy fall into the hands of Winter. Natsu burrowed down into the core of his power, forcing his flames to heed his commands. Pushing past his limits, Natsu stood and saw Gray standing at the edge of the ring of fire.

"Lord of Summer," Gray sneered.

"Lord of Winter," Natsu snarled.

The two lords spared no further words, as they darted towards one another. A great explosion of power rocked the room when the two clashed. Gray's fist of ice and Natsu's fist of fire met over and over again as the melee between Summer and Winter played out. However, the odds against the Lord of Summer were already stacked against him. Wounded, drained of much of his power, in the depths of Winter, far from his own realm, Natsu was overpowered by Gray quickly.

"Why?" Gray asked, clutching the ragged collar of Natsu's vest as he punched him. His fists continued to pummel Natsu, over and over. Natsu tried to call his power to defend against Gray's onslaught of punches, but he could only manage a flicker of fire. His flame was going out.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out his name, somewhere in the midst of the blizzard, but he couldn't see her. In fact, his vision was already darkening at the edges. All he could see was the Lord of Winter looming over him and the white of the blizzard spiraling around them.

"Why does the world long for Summer?" Gray raised his hand and created a spear of ice. He slammed it into Natsu's already wounded shoulder.

"Arghh!" Natsu cried out from the pain. Gray didn't stop there.

"Why do the humans praise you? Why are you so special?" He pierced Natsu's other shoulder and buried two more spears in each of his kneecaps. Gray created one more spear of ice and aimed it at Natsu's heart. Though, beneath him, the Lord of Summer's eyes still burned in defiance.

"Why?" Gray asked, his voice so cold and bitter, raising his spear higher. "Why was it your name she called out before the ice encased her?" With all his anger and bitterness, the Lord of Winter thrust down the spear towards the Lord of Summer's heart, finally ending the season of Summer forever.


	10. Chapter 6

**"A brave smile on your face is your soul's eternal spring, letting the world know it will keep on blooming despite the harsh winter" —Dodinsky**

Natsu watched as the point of the spear descended towards his heart. Time seemed to slow down, the spear moving in slow motion. _This is the end_ , Natsu thought. The Lord of Summer's power was a flickering ember that couldn't protect him. There was nothing he could do. The Lord of Winter would kill him and then kill Erza, the earth would be lost in an eternal Winter, and Lucy… ' _Hold onto my heart. I'll come back for it soon._ ' The last words Lucy spoke to him echoed in his thoughts. A sad smile spread across his lips. Natsu closed his eyes and saw the face of the Maiden of Spring shining brightly in his memory. _I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to save you._ He told her. _I love you, Lucy._

 _Looks like I'll just have to save you then._

Gray's arm snapped back. Thick vines wrapped around Gray's wrists and up his arms, tugging back hard before the spear could pierce Natsu's heart. The vines continued to wrap around his body, lifting him off the ground. Blooms rapidly blossomed over the spear in his hand until it burst into flowers. He watched as the spears protruding from the Lord of Summer disappeared in a similar manner. "What?" Gray struggled against his restraints, completely baffled by the turn of events. He called forth his power, trying to freeze the vines that held him, but nothing happened.

The roaring blizzard raging in the great hall suddenly stopped. The snow settled harmlessly to the ground. The temperature rose, warming up the great hall and caused the ice to weep. Natsu slowly got to his feet. His power was still on the knife edge of depletion, but he was alive. He looked down at his chest, a speck of blood from where the spear point had just nicked his skin was the only proof that Natsu had been seconds away from having his heart pierced. What just happened?

Without the blinding snow from the blizzard obscuring his vision, Natsu could see clearly around the room. He saw that the Lord of Winter was struggling to free himself from thick, green vines. Looking past him, he spotted Erza only feet away from him.

"Erza!" The Lord of Summer ran, stumbling past the vine restrained Lord of Winter towards the Maiden of Autumn.

"How is this possible?" The ice covering Erza's limbs became coated in flowers that dissolved the ice, mobilizing her once more. Erza stared at her limbs, moving them slowly. There was no trace of the ice on her. "This power…who?"

A loud crack sounded and the the grand hall began to shake, causing bits of ice to fall from the shadows of the high ceiling above. Erza used her wind to shield herself and Natsu from the ice. When the room settled once again, Natsu and Erza turned towards the direction of the sound. Where the orb of ice once stood, a giant, pink tulip bud was in its place. It slowly unfurled and seated on its petals was the Maiden of Spring.

"Lucy," Natsu whispered her name, afraid to speak it any louder in case his voice might shatter this hard-to-believe dream. Lucy slipped off the petals, stepping over the large chunks of ice that had shattered when the room shook. As Natsu watched her, she seemed to glow with a soft light. A brush of wind nudged Natsu's back, causing him to stagger forward.

"Er-"

"What are you doing, Lord of Summer?" Erza nodded towards Lucy. "Go to her."

"Y-yeah." Natsu blinked, feeling like an idiot. His steps were slow and unsure at first, as he went to greet her. He was still in a state of disbelief. Moments ago, he was sure he was about to die at the hands of the Lord of Winter. Erza would have been killed too, the earth would become a land of eternal winter, and Lucy would be trapped in ice forever. But, he was alive. Erza was okay and Lucy….Natsu looked into Lucy's brown eyes, only a few feet separating them now. Lucy's smile widened and Natsu's heart leapt into his chest. The pair sprinted the final distance, collapsing into each other's arms.

"You're safe," Lucy breathed, crying hard and burrowing her head into his chest.

"That's my line," Natsu mumbled, a mess of tears and overwhelming emotions. He ignored the pain he felt all over his body, and held Lucy tighter. Finally, she was back in his arms. He could hold her and know she was alive. The bright light of his heart was safe. Lucy stared up at him, tears trickling down her cheeks as she raised a hand to wipe away Natsu's tears.

"I heard you," Lucy sobbed. "When I was in the ice, I felt like I was fading. I was so numb, but then I heard your voice calling to me. I felt your warmth here." Lucy splayed her fingers over Natsu's chest, right above his heart. "You saved me."

"I didn't do anything," Natsu admitted, shame coloring each word. "I wasn't strong enough to save you...I thought...I thought I was going to lose you."

"No." Lucy cupped his head in her hands, her shining eyes meeting his. "You saved me, Natsu. And I saved you. We saved each other, that's how love works."

"Lucy," Natsu pulled her closer. "I love you."

"And I love y-ahhh!" Lucy dropped her hands from his face, clutching her chest as she cried out. Natsu held Lucy away to see what was causing her so much pain. His eyes widened in horror. Frost covered Lucy's fingertips and bare toes, slowly spreading along the rest of her limbs. Her skin was growing paler and her lips had a disturbing blue tinge to them.

"It's...c-c-c-cold," Lucy stuttered out, her body shivering all over.

"What's happening?" Natsu scooped Lucy up, holding her close to his chest to try and warm her.

"She must have used a considerable amount of her power to stop the Lord of Winter, save us and free herself," Erza said, having swiftly ran over to the pair once Lucy had cried out. "Now-"

"Winter is claiming her."

Natsu and Erza whirled around, seeing the Lord of Winter standing feet away from them. His eyes were focused on Lucy, a near tangible sadness emitting from him. There seemed to be no trace of the male that had been trying to kill Erza and Natsu moments ago. There was an emptiness in his eyes. Gray looked like a male that just had his heart broken.

"Stay away from her you bastard," Natsu snarled angling his body in such a way as to hide Lucy from him. Erza stepped in front of Natsu and Lucy, her scythe in hand and ready to defend them.

"The Maiden of Spring is the only guardian with the power to end Winter, that is why she was able to stop you, correct?"

"You're right, Erza," Gray looked around his great hall, seeing the after effects of Lucy's power. It was the same power he had hated for so long, but that hate had melted into love. However, he could feel his realm of Winter felt nothing but threatened by the power of Spring. "For a brief moment, Lucy brought Spring to the realm of Winter. Using that degree of power has weakened her defenses against my realm. The fact that I could break her restraints indicates this. Now that Lucy is out of the orb, Winter is trying to erase the threat it sees in her."

"Lucy's not going back in that orb," Natsu glared at Gray.

"That's not my intention," Gray bit out. "I'm saying you three need to leave."

"Natsu," Lucy spoke, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I'm fine. Let me down, please. I want to speak with Gray."

"No. You're not fine," Natsu argued. "That Winter bastard is the reason you're here now. He's-"

"Natsu," Lucy spoke again, this time her voice a little louder, stronger. She placed her hand on his cheek, smiling at him. Her touch was the same feather-like softness, but cold. So cold. "Trust me, love."

Natsu ground his teeth, wanting to ignore her request, but he knew he wouldn't. He set Lucy on her feet and watched as she made her way to the Lord of Winter. Natsu clenched his fingers into fists. His power was almost gone, but he would kill the Lord of Winter if he took Lucy away from him a second time.

"Lucy, I-" The Lord of Winter started before trailing off. He had trouble looking her in the eyes now. What could he say? _"Lucy, I kidnapped you, destroyed the balance of the seasons, and planned to trap you in ice forever in a realm that wants to kill you, because I love you."_ After seeing Lucy run into the arms of the Lord of Summer, Gray knew his love could never stand a chance at reaching her. Clearly, her heart belonged to another. The anger, the resentment, the bitterness he felt towards the Lord of Summer disappeared. Gray started to feel nothing instead. The feeling that Lucy had inspired in him was fading back to the numbness he was used to. Believing that this warmth inside of him could last, Gray felt like an idiot. He was the Lord of Winter after all. What warmth could be found buried in snow or ensnared in ice?

"You hurt your fellow guardians. You almost took away someone I Iove," Lucy paused for a moment, before continuing on. "You let yourself be led by your own desires and put the earth in grave danger because of them. What you did was terribly wrong and inexcusable." Each word Lucy spoke was like a dagger in Gray's heart. He knew. He knew bringing her here was wrong, and he regretted his actions. It was fear that drove him to go against his instincts. After so long, he was scared to lose the one person that made his loneliness disappear.

"I never meant to hurt you," Gray rushed out. "After meeting you...I…I realized how much I didn't want to be alone anymore. I just..." Gray trailed off, unable to find the words to convey how he felt.

Lucy slipped her hand into Gray's, startling him with the gentleness of her touch. She held his hand like he was the one a breath away from breaking. He stared at their hands, her frost covered fingers atop his ice cold ones. He slowly raised his head to meet her gaze and saw she was smiling up at him. Gray didn't understand. Why wasn't she yelling at him? Why wasn't she demanding retribution for the things he did to her? He even almost killed her lover and yet, she was treating him with such kindness. Why?

"I'm sorry," Gray apologized, tears silently fell down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for all that I have done."

Lucy's grip slid out of his grasp. Gray felt the absence of her touch for barely a moment, before he felt her chilly fingers brushing his tears away. "We are guardians, Gray. We protect the earth and the life it sustains, but you ignored your duties. You were wrong," she chided, but smiled softly as she took his hand again. "But now you are forgiven." Gray's eyes widened in shock. "You're not alone anymore, Gray. We're still friends. You and I, we're connected forever. We all are." Looking behind her, Lucy smiled at Natsu and Erza. Gray looked at their clasped hands and then at Lucy and finally, at the other guardians. He wasn't alone?

Natsu watched as Lucy forgave the Lord of Winter. Conflicting emotions rose and collided inside his heart. The Winter bastard had caused all them so much pain. He was the reason Natsu had almost lost Lucy forever. If Lucy was going to forgive the bastard, especially after everything he did to her-

Coughs racked the Maiden of Springs body and the next moment, she was collapsing to the ground. Gray reached out and caught her before she could hit the cold, ice floor.

"Lucy!" Gray shouted, shaking her gently. She felt cold, even to him.

"Let her go!" Natsu snapped, tugging Lucy out of Gray's arms. Gray wanted to resist, but he knew that the last thing Lucy needed right now was more ice. She needed the warmth, the heat, the sun and those were all elements under the Lord of Summer's domain.

"She needs to leave this realm immediately," Erza turned her hard glare towards Gray. "If the Maiden of Spring dies, all hope of restoring the balance will die as well."

"Winter has not yet reached her heart," Gray explained. "There is still time to save her."

"Then open your door so I can get Lucy the hell out of here!" Natsu yelled, holding Lucy closer to him.

Gray turned from them and walked a few steps away. He took a deep breath, feeling for his power. Holding his hands out, palms skyward, he raised them slowly above his head. As Gray moved his hands, a door began to form, materializing out of nowhere.

"Open," Gray commanded. The door obeyed his command, opening to a bright light that would lead them to earth. Stepping aside, Gray distanced himself from the door and the other guardians. "The path is open. Make the crossing and take Lucy out of the realm of Winter."

Natsu held Lucy tighter and started running towards the door with Erza at his side.

"Gray," Lucy called out weakly. "We need you too."

No one had ever claimed they needed Winter. He didn't know what good his powers would be to them. "But I-"

Natsu and Erza paused a foot away from the door looking back at the Lord of Winter.

"Lord of Winter, you have a responsibility as a guardian to uphold," Erza said. "If you truly wish to express your apology, then follow us."

"You started this mess," Natsu rolled his eyes. "So help clean it up."

"R-right," Gray replied, following the other guardians as they made their crossing.

The only reason Natsu could tell they were back on earth was that his power had returned. The instant his foot stepped onto the snow packed earth, his wounds healed and the fire inside of him roared to life. Glancing down at Lucy, he could see the frost coating her limbs was gone, the color returning to her lips and skin. He inwardly sighed, relieved that she was out of mortal danger. However, there was still one more problem left to resolve.

Earth looked like the realm of Winter had bled snow and ice into it. A horrible blizzard covered the world. Having only seen the world as a green and bountiful land full of adventure, it was hard for Natsu to comprehend this was the same earth he had always known. "Are we too late?" Natsu asked, as he set Lucy back on her feet.

The four guardians stood on the crest of a hill, the one their four doors had manifested on. It was the only place that the snowstorm had not covered. Lucy bent down and ran her fingers through the grass.

"There's still time," Lucy noted. She dug her fingers into the dirt, summoning her power to make the earth grow. Winter had run through its season; now, it was time for Spring. "Come here little dears."

The Maiden of Spring poured her power into the earth, encouraging it to grow-to bloom. She felt the earth reach out to her, ready to accept her power. However, the land was struggling. The Winter raging around them didn't want to let go of its hold. Lucy realized she couldn't stop it. Not by herself at least.

"Everyone, please," Lucy looked into the eyes of her fellow guardians. "My powers alone can't restore the balance. We all need to work together."

Natsu looked at Erza, each nodding in agreement. They clasped hands, linking their powers together. Natsu could feel Erza's winds merging with his fire. Their powers had already worked hard together, suffering and fighting to save Lucy and the earth. He stared at his other hand, clenching it into a fist. The Lord of Winter was the cause of all this chaos. Lucy had forgiven Gray, but could he?

 _'It's not enough!'_ It was difficult for Natsu to admit, but the Lord of Winter had done this all out of love -however misconstrued his actions were. Natsu had also done something just as drastic because of love and that action had endangered the earth and Lucy too. Lucy had forgiven him, just like she had Gray. He believed this mistake would haunt Gray as much as Natsu's haunted him. _I guess that's punishment enough_ , Natsu thought, unfurling his fingers and offering his hand to Gray.

Gray blinked, looking from the Maiden of Spring, asking for his help to the Lord of Summer offering out his hand to him. "My power is the end of things," he said, taking a step back. "It would only make this worse."

Lucy shook her head, smiling up at him. "Your power isn't the end of things Gray," Lucy corrected. "It's the beginning."

"The beginning?" Gray echoed in disbelief. "No, look around you. You saw my realm. You see the earth right now. It's cold and unforgiving and dead. This is why no one likes Winter. It only knows how to destroy!"

"That's not true," Lucy argued. "Your power allows the earth, the animals, and the humans to rest. Throughout Spring, Summer, and Autumn, there are demands put on the world and its inhabitants. However, in Winter, those demands are lifted. You give the earth the time to dream. The dreams that I feel inside the earth are made in your season, Gray. That's what makes your season so beautiful."

Gray looked at his hands, feeling his power inside of him. He always thought his power was the end to everything. _'You allow the earth the time to dream.'_ Were Lucy's words really true?

"There are plenty of adventures in Summer for sure; the days are long and full of constant action," the Lord of Summer offered. "There's not a lot of time for rest really."

"I definitely do not allow the humans or the animals to rest in my season," Erza scoffed. "They work to reap the land, prepare their shelters, tend to their animals, bake me delicious pies...ahem...stock food storages. Nothing is allowed to rest in my season."

"Gray," Natsu began, still offering his hand. "Lucy is right. I didn't realize it at first, but the earth needs you as much as it needs any of us. You're a guardian too, so let's protect the world, together."

"Together," Erza agreed, offering her other hand to Gray.

"Together, Lucy nodded, as well.

It was weird. Back in the realm of Winter, Gray could only feel hate for the Lord of Summer. He even tried to kill him. After Gray saw the love between Natsu and Lucy, his hate turned to a numbness as he realized his own love for Lucy would never be reciprocated. He believed he would live in his cold world forever. Yet, now...the Lord of Winter could see he wasn't alone.

"Together," Gray took Natsu's hand and Erza's into his own. Immediately, he felt Natsu's fire and Erza's winds merge with his ice. They circled Lucy, who was still emitting her power into the folds of the earth.

"Concentrate on the Maiden of Spring," Erza directed them. "Feel the connection each of us has with her, and give her all of your power." Natsu, Gray and Erza all closed their eyes, feeling inside of them for the connection that tied all of them together. They felt the warm light of Spring complete the mixture of their power. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter united together at last.

The four doors leading to each of the guardian's own realm flew open. The light that allowed them to cross over streamed out into the air above them like ribbons of light. Lucy removed her hands from the earth, and stood. She reached out with her right hand, and two ribbons of light flew into her. She held out her left and the remaining two ribbons joined her. A bright, column of light emitted from the Maiden of Spring as she was lifted into the air. She felt power brimming inside of her that grew the higher she climbed. Taking the fires of Summer, the winds of Autumn, the ice of Winter, and the light of Spring, Lucy combined the powers of the seasons inside of her.

"Bloom," she whispered, releasing the power into the earth. The column of light expanded and covered the world, encompassing it with the power of the four guardians. The dark clouds that clotted the sky, rolled away, disappearing into the distance. The snow burying the land evaporated, the ice melted away, and the frost in the air faded. Bright blue skies appeared, the sun shone down and warmed the air, the waters, and the land. The ground sprung to life with green grass, blooming flowers, and leafy trees. Animals appeared frolicking across fields, birds swooped in the skies singing joyously, and humans moved lazily about as if they had just awoken from a dream.

It had worked. The guardians had done it. The earth was saved and Spring had returned to the land in full force. Lucy could feel the connection they all shared now. Their hearts were connected with hers. She looked down at the other guardians below her, hands still clasped together. Summer, Autumn, Winter...they were all here in Spring. They were finally all together. One of her heart's deepest dreams was now a reality. Lucy sighed, letting the power of the other guardian's depart from her as she slowly descended from the sky. Overcome with weariness, the Maiden of Spring smiled as she closed her eyes.

"What a beautiful dream," Lucy breathed, before dissolving into thousands of flowers.

* * *

Natsu held his eyes firmly shut, concentrating on using his power to push past the Winter that held the land. He could feel the powers of the other guardians flowing within him, but it was more than just that. Lucy was right. They were all connected; he could feel it. He realized this connection was what had helped him find Lucy in the realm of Winter. Natsu had attributed that sense to the love Lucy and him shared. However, he had been wrong. Their love had helped him discover the connection; but it had been there all along. This link wasn't just between Lucy and him, but between all the guardians. It had been buried so deep within each of them, it had been lost. The Lord of Summer had believed he only needed Lucy in his life. He respected and feared Erza, and didn't think twice about Gray before any of these events happened. Now, it was like he had discovered two missing pieces of himself he never knew were missing. His heart felt fuller.

Suddenly, their connection flared with energy as a wave of power shot through the earth. Natsu and the other guardians felt the earth respond to that power, sensing the land bloom and grow beneath them. The Winter that ravaged the land broke away.

Opening his eyes slowly, Natsu saw that Spring had returned to the land. The snow and ice had vanished, the world bloomed with color and life. Their long battle was over. They saved the earth. He smiled at Erza and at Gray, as they, too, opened their eyes and saw the result of their labors.

The Maiden of Spring had taken all of their power and saved everyone. If it wasn't for her, Natsu was sure he never would have realize his connection with the other seasons. None of this would have been possible without her. The Lord of Summer would never forget this moment. His heart had never felt so much love for her. His smile only widened, already anticipating all the ways he wanted to express that love to her. Looking around, he noticed Lucy wasn't between them anymore. Natsu felt something land on his head. His gaze drifted skyward and saw thousands of flowers falling down.

"Snow?" Gray asked, holding out his hand. A small flower landed on his outstretched palm. "A rose," he exclaimed, recognizing the flower Lucy had created for him. The last time he held a rose, it had frozen with his touch. Yet, the rose remained unmarred by his ice. He could feel it then. Spring's light was still inside of him, as well as the other guardians' powers. _'You and I, we're connected forever. We all are.'_ Hesitantly, he stroked the petals, dazed by their softness.

"So, flowers fall down in Spring," Erza noted, using her wind to guide a white magnolia to her. "It reminds me of the leaves that fall in Autumn."

The Lord of Winter had never seen anything like this before. This was the world beyond his Winter. The color, the light, the sound, the life surrounding him was breathtaking and beyond his imagination. This was Lucy's world. This was Spring. "It's beautiful," Gray breathed.

The Maiden of Autumn kept using her wind to bring more and more flowers to her. "I agree."

Frantically scanning the skies, Natsu searched for any sighting of the Maiden of Spring. Yet, despite how much he searched, there was no trace of her. There were nothing but flowers and petals. Panic gripped him. There was a white noise roaring in his mind. The world tilted beneath him as he took a few steps away, his eyes still glued to the sky. Something was wrong.

"No," he strangled out, feeling waves of dread rock through him. The other guardians gasped, picking up on Natsu's overwhelming grief. "No. No. No."

"The Maiden of Spring." The flowers swirling around Erza dropped to the ground. "Where is she?" Her eyes started to scan the skies as well, but all she saw were flowers.

"She's...she's gone?" Gray muttered, looking around. He felt his own terror rise up inside of him. Where was she?

"Don't say that!" Natsu whirled around, grabbing Gray's cloak, as he yelled. "Lucy's not…DAMMIT SHE'S STILL HERE! I CAN FEEL HER!" Natsu pushed away from Gray, focusing on the connection he had with Lucy as he searched the skies again, desperate for her to reappear. He had just found her; he couldn't lose her again.

The Lord of Winter looked at the rose bloom in his hand and saw he had crushed it without realizing it. A gentle breeze blew the crumbled petals from his palm, scattering them into the wind. Spring was of a fragile beauty. Gray felt his heart squeeze painfully.

Something glinted in the sky among the flowers still falling. _There!_ Natsu thought, following the link. He ran towards it, cupping his hands so it floated into his palms. It was a seed. It glowed with the same light Lucy had shone with. Natsu could even feel her power tucked inside of it. But what did that mean? Tears poured down Natsu's cheeks, dripping and falling onto the seed. He couldn't think. He couldn't process what was happening. They had won. Everything was supposed to be alright. So, where was Lucy? Why was this happening? This couldn't be how this all ended.

"The seed," Gray drew in a sharp breath. "It...it has the same essence as Lucy."

"She took in all that power to save the earth, but," Erza's voice shook, tears spilling from her eyes as she realized what that seed meant. "It seems it was too much for one guardian to handle and it consumed her."

The Lord of Summer collapsed to his knees, unable to bear the weight of the reality in front of him. Clutching the seed to his chest, he wept harder. They had fought so hard. If he had known this would have happened, he would have taken the power unto himself. He wanted to go back and fix this. Lucy shouldn't be gone. Not her. She was life and light and love. The world needed her. The guardians needed her. He needed her.

"It wasn't enough!" he wailed, his body shaking as it was wracked with wave after wave of grief. "It wasn't enough! It wasn't enough! It wasn't enough!" Natsu felt his heart ripping and shattering over and over again. He could feel the other guardians sorrow through their connection. Their grief poured into him, only making his tears fall faster. Lucy had touched each of them with her presence. There was a gaping hole in their hearts now that she was gone and Natsu felt himself being swallowed by it.

When, at last, the final flower fell, the area around them was blanketed in a thick carpet of flowers. _'Tomorrow, I'll cover the land in flowers for you in gratitude for showing me so many magical things,'_ Lucy had told Gray. A wave of tears streamed from the Lord of Winter's eyes. In the end, Lucy had kept her word. How could something so beautiful be so painful?

Gray could feel Natsu's grief. It was so strong, it was hard to even breathe. Seeing how his former enemy wept for the Maiden they both loved tore at Gray. His heart was flooded with so many emotions he'd never experienced before. Everything was a turmoil of conflicting feelings, it was hard to think straight.

The Lord of Winter didn't deny his grief for the lost of Lucy was great, but with the connection between them, he understood how much Lucy had meant to the Lord of Summer. A lifetime of love was built between those two. Now, Lucy was gone. And Natsu...Natsu hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye.

"I think…we should bury the seed in the earth and give Lucy a proper burial." Gray didn't want to say his next words out loud, but he understood they needed to be said. Even though Lucy had called him the beginning, he knew too much about the end. "We need to say goodbye."

"I'm not burying her in the ground!" Natsu snapped. "I'll find a way to bring her back. Maybe she just returned to the realm of Spring. She's...Lucy...Lucy's not..." Natsu couldn't even say the words. They weren't true. They couldn't be true. Lucy couldn't be gone. Whenever the end of their one day came and Lucy would step back into her realm, 'goodbye' never left either of their lips. Lucy would smile lovingly and as the light enveloped her, Natsu would only tell her one thing.

"It seems that is not a possibility either," Erza pointed out softly, "our realms are disappearing." Natsu looked up and saw each guardian's door was fading, dissolving into bits of light.

"Impossible," Gray breathed, watching as his own door dissipated into the air. "We are to remain on earth, together?"

 _This was Lucy's dream_ , Natsu thought. It wasn't fair. This was Lucy's dream, yet she wasn't here to experience it. Why should they be able to remain here without her? Why couldn't he dissolve into nothingness too? He didn't want to go on. A part of him, the most important part of him, was lost and he didn't know how to find her again. It just wasn't fair. _Come back._

"Natsu," Erza stepped towards him, bending down to slide a hand over his shoulder in comfort. "What Lucy told us was true. We are all connected. Even if we can't see her, we can still feel her presence within our hearts. She's still with us." Natsu opened his hands, staring at the seed shining in his grasp. This was all he had left of Lucy. How could he bury it in the ground and walk away? "I think the Lord of Winter has a point though. As the Maiden of Spring, Lucy helped the dreams buried in the earth bloom, right?"

Erza placed her hand on top of his. Natsu looked into Erza's eyes which were shining with tears much like his own. She smiled at him, her presence a comfort to his aching heart. Gray knelt beside him, hesitating for a moment before placing his hand on top of Erza's.

"Then let us place our dream of her into the earth that she loved and see what blooms," Erza added. The Lord of Summer looked from the Maiden of Autumn to the Lord of Winter, back down to the seed resting in his palm. Natsu nodded slowly.

They worked together to arrange Lucy's burial. Erza commanded a gentle breeze to clear a layer of flowers away at the top of hill. Gray dug into the earth, creating a hole big enough and deep enough for the seed to fit in. Once his work was finished, he stood next to Erza. Natsu placed the seed, still emitting Lucy's light, into the hole. As he covered it back up with earth, he felt as if he had buried a part of him with it. They were all silent for a moment, each guardian lost in their own thoughts and emotions.

"It's my dream," Gray spoke first. "To make snow angels with you again and go ice skating with everyone. And maybe sledding or a thousand other things I can think of now because of you." The Lord of Winter summoned a handful of snow in his palm. He melted the snow in his hand and poured the water atop the small mound. "You made me see my Winter is beautiful and that I'm no longer alone. Thank you, Lucy."

Erza spoke up next, "It is true that Autumn is full of work, but there's a secret in my season." The Maiden of Autumn commanded a warm breeze to bring clean air around the hill. "After the work is finished there are festivals with delicious sweets and music and dancing. It is my dream to experience one together with you, Natsu, and Gray."

The Lord of Summer directed soft beams of sunlight to fall on the seed. He knelt down, whispering his words to the earth with one final tear splashing down onto it. Natsu stood and looked at Erza and Gray. Erza silently slipped a hand into his in comfort and Gray draped an arm around his shoulder. All of them stared at the tiny mound at the crown of the hill-the final resting place of the Maiden of Spring. A moment passed and a small green sprout pushed itself out of the earth. Summer, Autumn, Winter, all of their hearts were in agony, but in that instant, hope bloomed within them.

"Sweet dreams, Lucy."

* * *

 **A/N** : A HUGE thank you to dannibolt18 for looking over this chapter for me. You've been amazing! xD  
Don't hate me loves...there's actually one more chapter left. I won't take forever to write it. I promise. I just want to thank everyone for the support and reviews and messages in regards to this story. I have really enjoyed writing it. Now, with the final chapter coming up, it's kind of hard to say goodbye to it. Anywho...I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Heartbreaking as it is...Sometimes stories just have to be told a certain way.


	11. Epilogue

" **Hope is a waking dream."**

― **Aristotle**

Spring to Summer. Summer to Autumn. Autumn to Winter. Winter to-

Lost in his thoughts, the Lord of Winter stood in a quiet wood while the world around him slumbered. A few stars dotted the sky, specks of light still defying the void. Gray looked up, noting how the bare limbs of the trees seemed as if they were reaching out to claim those last remaining stars. He sighed, his breath appearing due to the chill of the night. Whether it be blossoms, leaves, snow or stars; it seemed trees needed to crown themselves in every season. To him, trees were very vain.

"We're going camping," Natsu declared, snapping Gray out his thoughts. The Lord of Winter slid his gaze from the stars to glare at the Lord of Summer standing a few paces away.

"Like hell we are," Gray protested "I almost died the last trip we went on."

"You're immortal," Natsu pointed out.

"That's exactly my point!" Gray threw up his hand in exasperation.

"I leave you two alone for one minute and you are already bickering." Erza appeared, a bushel of flowers in her hand.

"We're not bickering, Natsu's just being a flame brain."

"Gray's just being an ice pick."

Erza used her power sending gusts of wind to knock Natsu and Gray into each other. "You are both being childish."

"Sorry," the two lords muttered, rubbing their sore heads.

Erza sighed, expelling her frustration. "Come on then. It is almost time."

The guardians silently walked through the wood, making their way to the tree line in the distance. Gray noted that patches of snow stubbornly clung to the earth, squatting in the shadows cast by the trees. It was the final moments of his season and it seemed his Winter was as tenacious as ever. He didn't think that aspect of his season would ever change. However, he certainly had.

The world had come to life before him. He saw the world change day by day, growing more vibrant and more colorful with the passage of the sun. He saw how the earth thrived because of the labors of its inhabitants. Gray felt the rhythm of the world and saw how everything was connected. One season flowed into another like day flowed into night. The world needed Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. He had lived through them all. With Natsu and Erza at his side, he experienced all the wonders of every season. His fellow guardians were always with him. In his heart, he felt his connection with each of them. The Lord of Winter knew he would never feel alone again.

Erza broke through the tree line first, followed by Gray. They stood at the base of a tall hill, permanently covered in flowers. No matter what season it was, the flowers on the hill never wilted, never faded. The humans had named the area "Eternal Spring." The Maiden of Autumn looked back and noticed Natsu was still standing at the edge of the wood.

"Natsu?" She called to him gently. Through their connection, she could feel the pain in his heart. After all, they had returned to the place where that fateful day had occurred. The "Eternal Spring" was the final resting place of Spring's guardian-Lucy. Due to their immortality, guardians' perceived time differently. A year to them was like a single grain of sand in the desert of time. Yet, the year they had walked through the seasons together had felt like an eternity unto itself. The Maiden of Spring's absence still weighed heavy on all of their hearts. Especially, on the heart of the Lord of Summer. Erza hadn't known the Maiden of Spring long, but she could tell what a truly special existence she was. They all carried part of Lucy's light within them, but it couldn't compare to having her bright spirit in front of them.

Natsu looked up when Erza called him and tried to give her a reassuring smile like he always did, but it faltered. He couldn't do it. Pretending he was fine was just too hard when he was face-to-face with this cruel reality. To him, Lucy was the sun. The bright light of his heart. The one he placed at the center of his world. Her absence was an eternal storm to him; one he was constantly walking under. The light of Spring residing in all of the guardians was the only thing keeping his small amount of hope alive. It was the only reminder that the sun was still there, hidden behind the clouds. Yet, as the rain poured in his heart, sometimes he would slip and feel himself drowning. At this moment, standing in sight of Lucy's final resting place, Natsu was drowning again.

"I…" Natsu trailed off. The past year, he wanted to remain strong for Lucy. Her dream was to experience each of the seasons. Since she had sacrificed herself to save him, to save the guardians, and to save the world, he wanted to live out her dream for her as best he could. They had watched the world grow and bloom in Spring; they had filled their days with adventures in Summer; they had helped the world prepare in Autumn, celebrating the success of their labors; and then, they had marvelled at the beauty of Winter. Now, it was moments before the dawn of Spring again. Everything was about to start all over. Yet, the Lord of Summer didn't know if he could.

One year without Lucy had been torturous enough. How was he supposed to spend an eternity like this? There were so many things he wanted to tell Lucy, and so many things he wanted to show her. If it weren't for Gray and Erza, there was no way Natsu would have been able to survive this past year, but was he strong enough to survive another? It was just so painful. Behind his smiles, he was still weeping inside.

"Go on," Natsu managed to say. "I just need...a moment."

Erza was about to speak, but Gray rested a hand on her shoulder, silently shaking his head to stop her. Erza looked from Gray, back to Natsu before nodding her head. Gray led Erza up the hill, both of the guardians feeling the turmoil going on in Natsu's heart. The Lord of Winter had always looked forward to the first day of Spring in the past. He wanted to know what form the world took when his Winter melted away. His heart still stirred in excitement remembering the first time he saw Spring. The world flooded with color and life, the sight still awed him. Yet, once he realized Lucy had sacrificed herself, the colors appeared faded.

The two guardians made it to the top of the hill where they had buried the seed of Spring. The green sprout that had emerged a year ago, was still there. Erza laid her flowers next to it, smiling sadly.

"I tried to make flowers for you," Erza said, looking at the small red, orange and gold flowers she was able to create. "It took a lot of power, and even though they're small, I think you might like them. They're the colors of the leaves in my Autumn. Natsu and Gray acted like kids when they saw them for the first time. I laughed and ate pie while they jumped in and out of piles of them."

Gray bent down next to Erza. He called forth his power and manipulated ice between his hands. Once he was done, he placed a single rose made of ice next to Erza's flowers.

"I showed Erza and Natsu my Winter and we went ice skating. You would have laughed seeing Natsu try to ice skate. He was worse than you." Gray and Erza laughed at that memory. "I wish you were with us now."

The two guardians sat in silence, both remembering the Maiden of Spring. The last of the stars blinked out above them, as the sky began to brighten. On the horizon, the sun slowly crept into the sky. Gray and Erza watched as dawn shone on the first day of Spring.

Natsu felt the sun rising before he saw it. Looking at the top of the hill, he noted his fellow guardians watching the sun's arrival. He slowly emerged from the tree line, as the sun's rays bled into the sky, turning the dark remnants of night into a rose colored spectacle. Natsu's heart ached with a new intensity as he ascended the hill. Another Spring had arrived...another Spring without Lucy. The Lord of Summer made it halfway up the hill before he paused. He could already feel the tears welling up inside of him.

Natsu looked up and saw Gray and Erza walking towards him. Lucy's light inside of him stirred, a gentle reminder that he now had others to lean upon. Natsu felt the waters in his heart become shallower, the drowning sensation easing for the moment. He smiled at his fellow guardians, feeling his heart fill up with the light of Spring. Gray patted him on the back and Erza squeezed his hand, as they walked past him and descended the hill. They wanted to give him some privacy to speak with his lover. As Natsu crested the hill, he took a deep breath. When he breathed out, some of the heaviness inside of him was expelled.

"Hello, Lucy," he whispered. The sprout looked the same as it had a year ago to his dismay. Natsu sat down and noticed Erza's flowers and Gray's rose. He smiled, looking back to where the other guardians had gone. _Thank you_.

"I saw them all," Natsu began, his hands reaching to pluck random flowers that surrounded him. His fingers moved without much thought, as he wove their stems together. "I took Gray and Erza camping in my Summer. Gray didn't like it very much. He had a run in with some bears." Natsu laughed loudly, remembering Gray's face when the bears started chasing him. He stopped laughing abruptly. It had been a long time since he really laughed. Sitting here, it almost felt like Lucy was next to him.

"And then, in Autumn, the trees looked like they were on fire. They were red and orange and gold. When Erza sent her wind through the trees all the leaves would fall. It looked like the world was on fire. The leaves withered away in the end and we all saw Winter. It was different than before,"Natsu paused, remembering the first time he saw how the world really looked in Winter. It wasn't ensnared in a harsh blizzard, but wrapped in a thick, white blanket. It looked like the world was tucked gently into bed for a long rest. "You were right, Lucy. Winter is beautiful."

He looked down at the sprout, tears beginning to drip from his eyes as he plucked and wove another flower together.

"Damn," Natsu cried. "I thought I was strong enough to do this. I thought I could tell you these things without the tears, but they just...they just won't stop." His hands wiped furiously at his eyes, trying to force his tears back in. "It's so hard, Lucy. It's so hard seeing all these things without you. Now, Spring is here again and it looks like I'll have to greet another Spring..." Natsu choked up. There was still so much pain inside of him. The void in his heart was endless. "Another Summer. Another Autumn. Another Winter. I'll see them all again, without you."

The tears were streaming down the Lord of Summer's face as he wove the final flowers into his creation. As he spoke to Lucy, Natsu had made a crown of flowers, just like the ones Lucy made for him during their one day together. "I miss you so much, Lucy, " Natsu said as he finished weaving in the final flower. He placed it around the sprout, crowning his love with the flowers she loved so much.

"'Erza. Gray. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. We're all waiting for you to wake up, so you can live your dream." Natsu stood, and dusted the dirt from his pants. "And when that day comes, my dream will..." Even though she wasn't with him now, and there was so much sorrow in his heart, Natsu still held onto to his dream. He wasn't going to give up hope. "I love you, Lucy. Sweet dreams."

Gray and Erza were waiting for Natsu at the bottom of the hill. They had both felt the waves of emotion Natsu experienced, but they also felt his hope rising inside of him again. The Maiden of Spring wouldn't be gone forever. She would return to them, one day.

Natsu wiped his tears away and waved down at Erza and Gray. He looked back once last time before he descended the hill. The sun was a golden light, outlining the world in its brilliance. He held up his hand to block out the sun's rays that were falling directly in his eyes.

 _Natsu._

The sun rose higher, lifting its rays so Natsu could see again. He blinked once to clear the spots from his eyes and stilled. He didn't breathe. He didn't move. Natsu stood frozen in place by the sight before him. The sprout in the ground was growing larger. It started to shine as it grew into a white rosebud.

Erza and Gray came racing up the hill, having felt Natsu's shock. Once they crested the hill, they became frozen as well. The rosebud was enormous, shining with a bright light as it continued to grow. They couldn't believe what was happening in front of them. The three guardians stared, wide-eyed as the rosebud unfurled.

Sitting on the petals, the Maiden of Spring yawned as she stretched, opening her eyes sleepily.

"I had the most beautiful dream," Lucy claimed, staring at the other guardians with a brilliant smile on her face. "You were in it Erza."

"What…"Erza sniffed, trying to reign in the tears pouring from her eyes. "What was I doing?"

"We were watching the leaves fall!" Lucy exclaimed. "And we were eating pies together. They were so delicious!"

"Well you can eat lots of delicious pies this Autumn. We will stuff ourselves whole season long," Erza said.

"Oh! Gray you were in it as well!" Lucy looked towards him. "We went ice skating again, but I was awful at it." She shook her head and laughed. "Even in my dreams, I'm terrible."

"I'll help you practice this Winter. You'll be a pro in no time," Gray offered, wiping his tears away.

"And Natsu..." Lucy turned her gaze to him. She slipped off the petals of the rose; the flower disappearing into a burst of light as Lucy left it. When her feet touched the ground, flowers bloomed with her every step. She walked towards Natsu, worry furrowing her brow. Lucy stood before him, brushing her fingers across his cheek. "You were crying in my dream too."

The storm in his heart had cleared away the instant Natsu saw Lucy. There was sunlight shining in his world again. As her fingers touched his skin, he felt the year of sorrow and pain brush away. She was back. She was here. The void in his heart vanished and there was so much love and happiness welling up inside of him, Natsu couldn't do anything but weep with joy.

"Why are you crying, love?"

"Because," Natsu said, smiling down at Lucy, holding her hand against his cheek. "My dream just came true."

 **The End**

* * *

 **A/N:** First things first: Thank you to all the betas that helped with this story. Zaravarine you always gave great edits and took care of this story. I really appreciate all the work you did. You helped me so much with this story and others. I look forward to working with you on future projects. Also, thank you to dannibolt18 who stepped in and helped beta read the final chapters. Bless you! You helped me realize one of my fic goals! Thanks a bunch!

Now, to all the readers. I can't express how much it means to me that you took the time to read this story from start to finish. Thank you for sticking with this story...even during it's three month hiatus! I love you all for your comments and messages. They really encouraged me to finish this story. I'm going to miss working on this world, but I can't write for eternity. ;D Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza are all finally together and enjoying their happily ever after.

If you enjoyed this fic, please check out my other works. I'll start working on APYJCK in February for those who follow that story as well. Lots of plans in store for it this year. Anywho...THANKS AGAIN FOR THE LOVE! It's been my pleasure to write this.


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